Return flights

from 20th October

Srinagar, August 24:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah reviewed ar-rangements put in place by the State Hajj Commit-tee and various State and Central Departments for the conduct of Hajj-2013

from the State, at a high level meeting he chaired here on Friday.The meeting was informed that outward Hajj flights from Srinagar embarka-tion point will operate from 7thSeptember to 23rd September 2013. The corresponding inward flights will operate from 20th October to 5thNo-vember 2013. There will be two flights daily with a capacity of 275 pilgrims in each flight. The flights will operate directly from Srinagar to Madina Mu-nawara. A total number of

8,664 pilgrims are proceed-ing for Hajj this year.The Director Health Kash-mir told the meeting that vaccination against men-ingitis, polio and influenza for Aazmeen-e-Hajj will start from 29th August 2013.In the presentation made by Secretary State Hajj Committee, Fayaz Ahmad, it was stated that arrange-ments for transportation of Hajj pilgrims from Jam-mu have been finalized. He said accommodation of Jammu pilgrims at Hajj

See Hajj Flights on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 24:

The third anniversary of 17 years old Omar Qayoom, the Soura youth who according to fam-ily died in police custody in 2010 agitation is being observed today (Aug 25). The father of the de-ceased, Abdul Qayoom told CNS that even after passing of three year, no FIR has been lodged by police in this case. “We have al-ready approached State Human Rights Commission which would pass its judgment on September 6

next.“A top police official approached me several times asking me to take the case back in lieu of mone-tary benefits and job, but I bluntly refused,” he said adding that the culprits allegedly involved in the killing of his son should be booked without any delay. Abdul Qayoom said that they have been repeatedly going to police for registering an FIR but to no avail.“Now three years have passed since Omar’s death. We have been approaching the police but they

did not file an FIR,” said Omar’s father, Muhammad Qayoum Bhat.“We want justice. We want the policemen who tortured him be bought to book,” he said.Omar breathed his last at SKIMS on August 25, 2010. A class XI stu-dent, he, according to family was picked up by police on August 20 along with two other youth- Amir Bashir Sheikh son of Bashir Ah-mad of Umarheir, Buchpora, and Irshad Ahmad Bhat son of Gh-ulam Qadir of Dar Mohalla,

See Soura Youth on Pg. 11

No FIR lodged even after three years: Family

Bijbehara, August 24:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Saturday said that people are best judges to gauge the performance of his Government add-ing that work done on the ground would speak loud and clear for the people-friendly policies adopted by his Government to steer the State towards the shore of peace, prosperity and economic welfare.Talking to media persons at Audar after laying foundation of a bridge, the Chief Minister said that he has faith in Almighty and public support. “People will judge us on our per-formance and achieve-ments”, he said and added that the report card of the Government is in the pub-

lic domain and it will be further elaborated well be-fore the Election-2014. “We believe in Almighty and public support is our high-est strength”, he added.The Chief Minister while interacting with the stu-dents after inaugurating Rs. 10 crore college com-plex for Degree College at

Bijbehara said that youth are the architect of new and modern Jammu and Kashmir asking them to take their studies serious-ly and prove their merit and ability at all levels.“You are future of the State and in your hands are the progress, prosperity

See Omar on Pg. 11

It’s happening because of mismanagement: Taj

Apple orchards in the grip of mysterious disease

New Delhi, August 24:

The Prime Minister has called upon the media to consolidate India as a plural, inclusive and progressive soci-ety. Dedicating the Na-tional Media Centre of the Press Information Bureau to the nation in New Delhi today he said the media is a reflection of the entire society and therefore it has a special role to assess and tackle the challenges brought about by socio-economic changes.Cautioning the media against turning the spirit of investigative journalism to a witch-

hunt, he said personal prejudices must not re-place the public good. Dr Singh called for mature and wise handling of so-cial media to save innocent people from becoming vic-tims of online p r o p a g a n d a campaigns. About the new media centre, the Prime Min-ister said the state-of-the-art facility is the latest step to address the diverse communication needs of people. He said it will be a single window fa-cility to fulfill the needs

and requirements of the media. UPA Chairperson So-nia Gandhi said the government welcomes

the watchdog role of the me-dia and well-i n t e n t i o n e d criticism, but there is a need to disseminate news truthful-ly and objec-tively. She also stressed on the need for space

in public debates for conflicting and opposing points of view. Information and Broad-casting Minister Manish Tewari said though the

print media is witness-ing closure of major publications globally, in India, the print industry is expected to clock 10 per cent growth rate and emerge as the 6th largest newspaper market in the world by 2017. He said the Union Cabinet has approved e-auction of 839 new FM radio chan-nels in 94 cities. Tewari asked the MSME sector to leverage the opportu-nity of manafacturing set-top boxes to convert the ongoing cable TV digitisation into India story.The Media Centre is equipped with the latest

See PM onPg. 11

World Bank Assisted National AIDS Control Support Project Launched

New Delhi: August 24:

The World Bank assisted National AIDS Control Sup-port Project was launched by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare in New Delhi today. A. H. Khan Choudhury and Smt. San-tosh Chowdhary, Ministers of State for Health & Family Welfare were present on the occasion.Addressing the launch programme, Azad said the prevention of HIV is high priority for Government of India. Over 99.5% of India’s population is free from HIV now. Accordingly the focus of the programme has been

on prevention of spread of HIV, while ensuring access to treatment and care for all HIV infected persons. The National AIDS Control Project III was funded by multilateral and bi-lateral

development agencies with only a fraction of the cost being borne by domes-tic budget support. In the current global economic scenario, external aid has dried up and there is need

for greater reliance on do-mestic support to ensure that such a successful pro-gramme does not suffer lack of resources. However, the World Bank has been a long-standing partner of India’s fight against HIV/AIDS right from the first day. This partnership has been instrumental in es-tablishing and scaling up the prevention architecture against HIV over years. It may be mentioned that the Rs.2,550 crore ($510 mil-lion) National AIDS Control Support Project has been launched by the Depart-ment of AIDS Control, Min-istry of Health and

See Project on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 24:

Despite arrival of thou-sands of trucks loaded with essential commodi-ties, people in Kashmir, particularly in the rural and far flung areas contin-ued to face acute shortage of essentials, particularly rice, flour and sugar. Due to reasons better known to Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) officials, no dis-tribution of ration, sugar and other items is being made while people alleged that officials of CA&PD

supply all this ration and sugar to blue eyed persons as well as top administra-tive officials.“I am the witness of it and I myself saw a CA&PD official unloading huge quantity of sugar at DC office Srinagar in his pri-vate vehicle (JK01T-765) . When, enquired, I was told that this sugar is meant for a top bureaucrat and even Assistant Director CA&PD, city, confirmed this but he said that only 50 kilograms of sugar were supplied to the Bureau-crat,” one of the residents

of Noorbagh Srinagar, Im-tiyaz Ahmed told CNS. Majority depots of CA&PD in the valley, particularly in rural and far-flung ar-eas were empty for the past two months, forcing people to purchase rice, flour and sugar from the open market. People said the government instead of trotting out statistics should try to reach out to people and take special measures for solution of this grave problem. “We don’t have even any rice, sugar and flour

See Ration Depots on Pg. 11

Pulwama, August 24:

Apple orchards located in the adjacent areas of Pulwama district are in the grip of mysteri-ous diseases. Farmers alleged that despite re-peated requested made to the Horticulture department, the offi-cials of the department displayed insensitive attitude due to which there are apprehen-sion that they would incur huge loses.Scores of farm-ers staged a protest against the Horticul-

ture department in South Kashmir’s Pul-wama district on Sat-urday. The protestors said that due to recent incessant rains, their apple orchards located around DC office Pul-wamma are in the grip of mysterious diseases. “The colour of the fruit and leaves has turned pale and we have ap-prehensions that we may incur huge loss-es,” they said.The farmers told CNS that soon after the in-cessant rains they in

See Orchards on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

SUNDAY August 25 | 2013 | 17 Shawal 1434 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 209 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Passionate appeal for objective reporting: PM

Jammu, August 24:

There has been fresh violation of ceasefire by Pakistani troops along the line of control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani troops today fired on Indian posts in the sec-tor, which was retali-ated strongly by Indian Troops. Defence Spokes-person Col. R K Palta said, Pakistani troops fired on Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons around 7 AM this morn-ing triggering retalia-tion from Indian troops guarding LOC. The ex-

changes continued for 10 minutes. However, there was no loss of life or in-juries to anyone in Pak firing.Loc has been witnessing ceasefire violations al-most daily since the kill-

ing of five Indian soldiers on August 6. The Pakistani troops have been daily resort-ing to ceasefire viola-tions since August six this month when its

See Ceasefire on Pg. 11

Ceasefire violation by Pak troops again along LoC

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Jammu, August 24:

Senior National Conference (NC) leaders Saturday ad-vised BJP and Peoples Dem-ocratic Party (PDP) to shun ‘communal and disruptive tendencies’ and help people to lead a dignified life, based on love, amity and brother-hood, which is the true spir-it of Jammu and Kashmir’s pluralistic ethos.“Dividing people on com-munal lines is barbaric and against the norms of civilised behaviour”, they said in a statement to KNS.Cautioning people against disruptive and communal forces, the NC leaders said

that some elements have not reconciled with peace dawning in Kishtwar and, therefore, they were at-tempting their worst to vitiate the atmosphere by spreading canards and pro-voking people by whipping up communal passions. In this context, they referred to the ‘communal politics’ of Bharatya Janata Party, saying they remain in search of such occasions to exploit the situation in or-der to derive political mile-age. “Come elections and BJP remembers conten-tious issues like Article 370, construction of Ram

See NC on Pg. 11

Empty ration depots leave people fuming Hails peoples’ resilience in

sustaining peace

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(SUNDAY)SUNRISE ON (MONDAY)

07:08 pm06:01 am

19.6 0C31.8 0C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Light Rain/Thundershower would occur at isolated places over state.

Mainly clear sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 32°C & 19°C respectively.

Rules out early Lok Sabha polls

Dignity of State’s people prime concern of Govt

7 8 10

NC takes on BJP, PDP

Sleep disorders signalAlzheimer’s disease

People best judge to gauge Government performance: Omar

Soura youth Omar Qayoom’s third anniversary today

Outward Hajj flights to begin from 7th September

Calls to consolidate India as plural, inclusive & progressive society

Says youth are architects of new Kashmir

Farmers protest against Horticulture department’s apathy

Notorious drug peddler arrestedPattan, August 24: Police Sunday arrested a wanted drug peddler from North Kashmir’s Pattan area and recovered scores of strips of Alprex tablets and codeine bottles from him.Station House Officer Pattan, Mehboob Bandey told CNS that Mohammad Ashraf Ahangar son of Ali Mohammad resident of Sheerabad, Khor Pattan is a notorious drug paddler who used to supply banned drugs to youth from Pattan and Sopore area. After receiving specific information, police party laid a nakka at Hanjivera and arrested him. “Though the accused tried to flee from the spot however he was chased by the policemen and was trapped. The bag carried by him contained Alprex tablets and banned Corex syrups,” the SHO said. An FIR vide 214/2013 under section 8/22 of NDPS Act has been registered against him.

54 HCs promoted as ASIs Srinagar, August 24: Inspec-tor General of Police, Kashmir Zone A. G. Mir promoted and issued formal order in favour of 54 HCs to the rank of ASIs.Today the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Srinagar A.G Mir issued formal orders in respect of 54 Head Constables (HCs) to the rank of Assistant Sub Inspectors (ASIs) having lein and seniority with Kash-mir Zone. IGP Kashmir has congratulated the promoted officers and their families and advised them to work with more dedication and devotion. Earlier this April, Zonal police headquarters issued orders for promotion in respect of 140 Assistant Sub-Inspectors to the rank of Sub-Inspectors. Besides, promotions orders were also issued in other ranks in May 487 Head Constables to the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspectors. In June 121 Head Constables were promoted to the rank of Assis-tant Sub-Inspectors and today promoted 54 Head Constables were promoted to the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspectors

Body of aged man found in Anantnag Srinagar, August 24: The body of 60 year old Abdul Aziz Khan son of Mohammad Alam Khan resident of Maliyar Kralkhud, Srinagar was found in a Masjid at Zirpora, Anantnag, in suspi-cious conditions. Police inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC have been initiated in this regard.

2 Injured in road mishaps Srinagar, August 24: Two persons were injured in differ-ent road accidents in Budgam District. A LP School bus bearing registration number JK04B/4019 hit a Motorcycle bearing registration number JKo4B/7439 driven by Gulzar Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Nabi resident of Dangerpora at

See Mishaps on Pg. 11

KATHUA, AUGUST 24

Member Legislative Coun-cil (MLC) Subash Gupta Satur-day reiterated Government’s commitment to extend educa-tion facility to remotest areas to achieve the goal of hundred percent literacy in the state.

Addressing students, staff and parents during a func-tion here at Government High Secondary School Rajpura, Gupta said that government has opened a large number of schools in every nook and corner of the State to achieve the goal of full literacy.

The MLC lauded the students for presenting a scintillating cultural bo-nanza on the occasion. He said in addition to the strong academic basis, the stu-dents need to be groomed in extracurricular activities including sports. He said that the students of present times are gifted by nature with extra ordinary intelli-

gence and the teachers have to play an important role in exploring the hidden talent of the student. He said sec-tors like PHE, health, R&B, education, tourism, power among other sectors have received focused attention of the Government adding it was due to its pro-people policy that the masses at present are benefited.

Principle Deepak Gupta raised demands of school pertaining to repair-ing of bathroom, construc-tion of boundary wall, plat-form of Peepal tree.

Later, Gupta inau-gurate footpath constructed with the funds provided by him out of his constituency development funds. He also provided funds for the disman-tling of unsafe building and levelling of play ground of high secondary school Rajpura. He distributed mementoes and cash prizes among the merito-rious students.

LMS team charge Rs 10200 fine

from violatorsREASI, AUGUST 24: A team

of Department of Legal Me-trology, Saturday charged Rs 10200 from the local traders after they were found violat-ing J&K Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act and Rules.The team conducted exten-sive checking of the market at Bhambla and other adjoining areas of district Reasi and dur-ing inspection of sweet shops, karyana stores, hardware store, dhabas, fruit and vegetable sellers about 14 traders were booked for violation of the J&K Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act and Rules.As many as 9 cases were com-pounded on spot and amount of Rs 10200 was imposed and recovered from the violators.

SRINAGAR AUGUST, 24:-

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Saturday reiterated that upliftment and socio-economic development of the people across the State is prime concern of government, saying that vari-ous initiatives have been taken in this regard in-cluding establishment of Panchayat Raj system in the J&K.

The Minister was addressing a large gather-ing of people and public representatives in an Awami Darbar held at Dara, Fakir Gujri here Saturday.

Legislators, Mohammad Yaseen Shah, Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Pardesi, District Develop-ment Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Rural Development Department, Kashmir, Altaf Ahmad Mir and various district officers were present on the occasion.

Sagar urged upon people to extend their cooperation for maintaining peace so that State could achieve new heights of development and prosperity. He also asked people to avail maxi-mum benefit from various State and centrally sponsored schemes to elevate their socio-eco-nomic status.

Sagar said that the people are fully aware of the developmental process initiated by the gov-

ernment for ensuring needs based and sustained prosperity and devel-opment of the State. These progres-sive initiatives have changed the socio-economic profile of the rural and far flung areas and the state as a whole, he said. “Some parties are trying to mislead the people by spreading falsehood, flouting obnoxious ideas and hypocrisy. But the people are wise enough to understand their machinations and will give a befitting reply to them in next elections, he maintained.

He cautioned people against defeated politicians who have ex-ploited the people for their vested interests. He said they are the ele-ments responsible for bloodshed and mayhem that struck the State in 1990 when they were in the higher corridors of power at Centre. He urged upon them to differenti-ate between right and wrong.

The Minister said that govern-ment led by dynamic Chief Minis-ter Omar Abdullah has introduced various employment generation schemes including Himayat, Udaan

and Umeed besides other skill development programs through which number of unemployed youth have been imparted train-ing and have been made able to earn their lively hood with dig-nity and passion.

On the occasion, people and public representatives of the Dara, Khimber, Fakir Gujri and other adjoining areas put forth their demands before the Min-ister which include repairing of, electric poles, street lights, roads, lanes and drains, supply of drinking water and Ration. They also demanded for construction of play field besides developing one village of the area as Model village, and taking necessary steps for preventing man animal conflicts in the area.

Responding favourably to the demands, the Minister made an-nouncement of making one of the villages of the area as model village and assured them that all the genuine demands will be ful-filled on priority basis.

Mega Lok Adalats at Tangdhar, Handwara, Kupwara, Sogam

Govt committed to achieve 100% literacy in J&K: Gupta

JAMMU, AUGUST 24:-

Saying that government was commit-ted to make every endeavour to improve power scenario in the State, especially in hilly and far-off areas, Minister of State for Power and Information, Vikar Rasool Saturday called upon the Power Devel-opment functionaries to redouble their efforts to ensure time-bound comple-tion of all ongoing power infrastructure development projects.

This was stated by the Minister while reviewing the physical and fi-nancial achievements of Power Devel-opment Department during monthly meeting held at Jammu, here Saturday.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to Government, Power Development Department, Arun Kumar Mehta, Development Com-missioner, PDD, Asgar, Chief Engineer PDD, Ms Shehnaz Goni, besides senior functionaries of Power Development De-partment.Reviewing the pace of progress on various power infrastructure projects being executed in Jammu division, the Minister directed the concerned authori-ties to ensure their timely completion to

improve the power scenario in the re-gion. He said that Government of India has sanctioned huge funds to up-grade power infrastructure in the state. He said the fundsprovided under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikiran Yojna (RGGVY) - phase 2, have been sanctioned to cover

left out belts lacking facility of electricity. The Minister asked the PDD authorities heading various wings of the depart-ment to maintain close co-ordination to check power thefts adding that reduc-tion in power losses and close check on

the power pilferage could greatly help to improve revenue realization.

The Minister asked the PDD authorities to conduct survey in rural hamlets of connected load and accord-ingly upgrade the existing distribution transformers. He stressed for early repair

of defunct transformers to provide uninterrupted power supply to the people which is the top priority of the government.

The Minister asked the Chief Engineer M&RE, Jammu to direct the concerned functionaries to take con-crete measures to avoid power break-downs, especially in remote areas.

He asked the concerned officers to keep their activities at maximum to ensure accountability at grass root level and asked the enforcement wing of the department to gear up its efforts to reduce power pilferage through hooking, unregistered power load etc.

He asked for snapping of all illegal con-nections to save the transmission/distri-bution, feeder and T&D losses. He under-lined the need to fix quarterly revenue targets as it would help to improve the overall realization.

KUPWARA, AUGUST 24: According to the Chairman, DLSA, Kupwara, the mega lok Adalats are being conducted at Tangdhar, Handwara, Kupwara and Sogam commencing from September 6 to 13, 2013 in collaboration with the TLS Committees.

As per the schedule, the lok Adalat at Court Complex of TLSC Tangdhar shall be held on September 6 and 7, 2013.

Similarly, the lok Adalat by TLSC Handwara shall be held on September 8 and 9, 2013 at court complex of CJM Handwara.

The lok Adalat at District Court Complex Kupwara shall be held on September 10, 11, 2013 by DLSA Kupwara wherein cases of district courts, Sub Judge and Munsiff Court are being taken up in the said lok Adalat.

Another lok Adalat shall be held at Munsiff Court, Sogam on September 13, 2013.

The Presiding Officers have been asked to identify the cases and make preparation for taking up all the cases especially matri-monial, guardianship, MACT, Complaint, Land Acquisition, bank, Restitution of conjugal Rights cases in the mega lok Adalat.

Interview for the AW workers on Aug 29

KUPWARA, AUGUST 24: According to the Child Development Project Officer, ICDS, Ramhall, the interview for the post of An-ganwari workers of ICDS, project Ramhall for Anganwari centre, Pir Mohalla Panzwa Payeen shall be held on August 29, 2013 at District Programme Officer, ICDS Kupwara at 11 amsharp of.

All the applicants have been informed to attend the interview on scheduled date and time alongwith all original documents.

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar | Sunday 25 .8 .2013

Vikar reviews functioning of PDD, stresses on containing T&D losses

Crackdown on illegal earth liftersGANDERBAL, AUGUST 24- On the directions of DDC Ganderbal, Sarmad Hafeez, six

tippers were confiscated and drivers of the tippers detained who were involved in illegal earth cutting and lifting in Rangil area of district Ganderbal.

DDC said that stern action shall be taken against the people involved in the illegal activity as it not only devalues the land but is hazardous for the environment and can have drastic consequences. In an appeal to the people of the district DDC requested them not to involve in any such activity and report such activities to district administration.

If you get asked to lead a team in your personal or pro-fessional life, jump at the chance. Today you will get all the support you need, Libra. Don’t be afraid that you’re not good enough. Things will come together without your having to do much at all. Besides, you already know that people are on your side!

You couldn’t dream of a better day to deal with all the little problems in your daily life - broken washing machine, money problems, minor health issues. If your doctor has given you a prescription, you can expect it would work like a miracle drug. Scorpio, take care of the little things. It will take less time than you think!

Perhaps you can’t believe it, but it’s time to say goodbye to your rigid attitude. A little pleasure among all that seri-ousness and responsibility won’t do you any harm. This day could help you change your point of view on life. This will feel great!

Life is helping you out at the moment, Capricorn. You might chalk it up to some divine power. Whatever it is, your guardian angel is always by your side. Perhaps you’d like to begin something new in your life, like moving or changing lifestyles. At the moment you can do anything you want to do. It will all work out just fine!

Have you ever thought about writing or working for a company in which you can use your excellent communica-tion skills, Aquarius? The planetary alignment emphasizes writing and communication. It’s time to show the world that you have a gift and that people can count on you to do a great job. Think about the publishing business.

If you’ve been thinking of living somewhere else, Pisces, today will push you to really want to move far away from the place you’re living now. Such a move could have conse-quences for your work situation or family life. It may be time to think seriously about what’s holding you back. Wouldn’t the people closest to you be happy to go along?

This could be the luckiest day of the month, Virgo. But astrology also takes your role into account. In other words, luck is something you have to work for. If you seem to have an incredible streak of luck today, it’s probably because you did something earlier to make it happen!

You have a great day ahead of you, Aries. Everything will work out like clockwork. By the end of the day, you’ll still have the energy to do something fun with your evening. It’s a wonderful day for group activities. If you aren’t involved in any, why not try a sport, hobby, music, or art?

You may have received some bad news concerning your finances, Taurus. This is probably the best day you could ask for out of the whole month to deal with these problems. If you want to come out of this situation a winner, it may be necessary to approach things from a different angle than usual. Rest assured that things will probably work out just fine.

Today is a relatively calm day that’s sure to please you, Gemini. You may even receive gifts from family and friends as marks of their esteem or love for you. This is just the kind of reassurance you need. Though you have a fairly subtle in-fluence in your relationships with others, it’s nevertheless essential to you to be a good friend.

Everyone knows that nothing can stop you when you’re determined to get something done. As long as other people are on your side today, you will be amazed at all the things you can accomplish. But don’t get too excited, Cancer, be-cause it’s time to take care of those thankless tasks that no one wants to deal with. You may need other people’s help to get them done.

You may be considering taking a trip or planning a party with some friends, Leo. You may find out today that it’s up to you to do all the organizing. This won’t bother you too much because you know you’ll do it right. Why don’t you think about really trying to outdo yourself and plan something special that your friends will never forget?

KISHTWAR, AUGUST 24

The district administration here has decided to constitute special squads to inspect the physical achievements of the departments and their impact on the ground.

Chairing a meeting of District and Sectoral Officers here Saturday, District Development Commissioner, Baseer Ahmed Khan, said that special squads would be constituted to inspect the works done by the departments and their benefit to the public.

He said that it would help to evolve a performance oriented, trans-parent and responsive mechanism for effective redressal of public grievances and implementation of developmental schemes. He directed the senior func-tionaries to ensure attendance of staff in the offices and evolve an efficient delivery mechanism in their respective departments.

The DDC said that there was a need to maintain close synergy among the departments to avoid hiccups and delays in the execution of development works and implementation of schemes. He warned the officials against derelic-tion of duty and non-adherence to the rules and regulations.

Stressing for quick response, the DDC asked the officials to ensure an effective and time bound response to the problems of the public. He said that as Kishtwar District has very limited work-ing season there was a need to put in more efforts to meet the set targets.

“The schemes regarding rural development, social welfare, Health , R&B and Employment etc shall be implemented properly and the achievement should be visible on the ground” he directed the officers . He also intimated that special squads to inspect the physical achievement of various departments will be con-stituted soon.Regarding the supply of essential commodities to remote ar-eas, the DDC directed the concerned officials to ensure proper stocking of food grains and other commodities in

every area. He said that the depart-ments like Social Welfare, Rural De-velopment and Employment need to concentrate more on the backward areas and should come up to the expectations of the people. He di-rected the authorities from Education department to ensure availability of teachers in all Schools of the remote areas.Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban Range, Ash-koor Wani called upon the officers to work in coordination to meet the aspirations of the people. He said that inaction on part of the government de-partments compounds the law and order problem. “Coordination and efficiency are must for addressing the genuine grievances of people and improve the overall environment of the area” he added.

Socio-economic development, dignity of State’s people prime concern of Govt: Sagar

GANDERBAL, AUGUST 24: A daylong seminar on ‘Save The Girl Child’ was organised by the

Principal Government Higher Secondary School Ganderbal in col-laboration with Chief Medical Officer, Ganderbal under NRHM here Saturday. On this occasion, Chief Medical Officer Ganderbal high-lighted the importance of Girl child in shaping the society besides disseminating the moral education. Various participants from High and Higher secondary Schools of the district deliberated upon the theme.

DDC conducts surprise inspection of GHS

ChanderkoteRAMBAN, AUGUST 24-Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, M.H Ma-

lik, has asked the education department to distribute the available stocks of books among the deserving students of the district.

The DDC issued directions to Chief Education Officer during a surprise inspection of Government High School Chanderkote on Sat-urday.During the checking of records and store, the DC took serious note of huge stock of books lying in the school. He directed the CEO to ensure distribution of the books immediately.

He also expressed dismay over low attendance in all classes to which the class teachers and Headmistress had no satisfactory reply. He asked the teachers and Headmistress to ensure full attendance by motivating the parents to send their wards to the school.

The DC also inspected the mid-day meal stocks and arrange-ments for the preparation available in the school.

Symposium on ‘Save the girl child’ held at GHSS Ganderbal

Kishtwar adm to constitute special squads for inspection of works done

Div Com reviews damage reports

furnished by various

depttsJAMMU, AUGUST 24

The government has started the restoration of damages caused to the public utilities in Jammu region in the backdrop of recent heavy rains and floods.

The information was given at a meeting of Heads of Departments convened

by Divisional Commis-sioner, Mr Shantmanu, in presence of Commissioner Secretary PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Pawan Kotwal, to know the details of damages caused to the public utilities and other infrastructure.

The meeting was told that the temporary restora-tion works have been taken up to restore roads, water supply, power and other services in the affected ar-eas of the region.

The meeting was at-tended by Director School Education Pandurang K. Pole, Director Floriculture K. K. Sharma, Chief Engi-neers Ajay Gupta, Chief Engineer RTIC Jammu, H.C. Jerath, Chief Engineer PHE, K. K. Gupta, Chief Engineer Irrigation & FC Jammu, V. Badial, CE MED Jammu, Deepak. K. Razdan, Joint Director Tourism Shiv K.

Gupta, Deputy Director Health Baldev Raj Sharma, Joint Director CAPD Riaz Ahmed Choudhary, SEs, other senior officers of concerned departments.

It was informed in the meeting that the dam-age reports prepared by each department would be verified by the respec-tive District Development Commissioners for the fi-nal submission to the gov-ernment.The meeting dis-cussed in detail the scale of damages presented by the departments like PWD (R&B), PHE, Irrigation, Flood Control, EM&RE, Sewerage & Drainage, Town Drainage, RTIC, Health, Education and other departments.

It was further informed in the meeting that tempo-rary restoration work has been started in the affected areas to avoid inconve-nience to the public.

Restoration works started in flood affected areas

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

SUNDAY | 25 AUG 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

Best foods for stamina Exercise for 30 mins daily, lose weight

30mins of daily exercise enough to get into shape (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)Thirty min-utes of daily e x e r c i s e provide an equally ef-fective loss of weight and body mass as 60 minutes, researchers at the Uni-versity of Copenhagen have shown.For thirteen weeks, a re-search team at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sci-ences followed 60 heavy - but healthy - Danish men in their efforts to get into better shape.Half of the men were set to exercise for an hour a day, wearing a heart-rate monitor and calorie coun-ter, while the second group only had to sweat for 30 minutes. Research results show that 30 minutes of exercise hard enough to produce a sweat is enough to turn the tide on an un-healthy body mass index.On average, the men who

exercised 30 minutes a day lost 3.6 kilo in three months, while those who exercised for a whole hour only lost 2.7 kg. The re-duction in body mass was about 4 kg for both groups, reports Mads Rosenkilde, PhD student, Department of Biomedical Sciences.Moreover 30 minutes of exercise training provide an extra bonus.Participants exercising 30 minutes per day burned more calories than they should relative to the training program we set for them. In fact we can see that exercising for a whole hour instead of a half does

not provide any additional loss in either body weight or fat. The men who exer-cised the most lost too little relative to the energy they burned by running, biking or rowing. 30 minutes of concentrated exercise give equally good results on the scale, explained Mads Rosenkilde.Mads Rosenkilde pos-tulates that some of the explanation for the sur-prising results is that 30 minutes of exercise is so doable that participants in the study had the desire and energy for even more physical activity after their daily exercise session.

Heart disease is one of the most feared ailment and a side effect of sed-entary lifestyle. You can control the effects of your lifestyle by eating the right food.It’s quite often difficult to change your lifestyle drastically in this com-petitive world. But you can surely change a little bit of eating and ensure you are protecting your heart.Here’s a list of food that can help you protect your heart.

1. Black beans: Black beans are packed with folate, antioxidants, magnesium which are good for lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. This in turn keeps your heart in safe zone. But if you are planning to use tinned beans, please drain the liquid and wash them before use to reduce the sodium content.2. Salmon and tuna:

These two fish are rich in anti-oxidants and omega-3, two important can-didates who help heart.3. Walnuts: A handful of them a day helps low-er your choles-terol and reduce i n f l a m m a t i o n in the arteries. Replace them as mid-meal snacks instead of chips etc.4. Oranges: They contain cholesterol-fighting pectin. The fruit is also rich in potassium that helps control blood pressure. Antioxidant hesperidin also helps lower blood pressure.5. Carrots: Though sweet, they are good to control diabetes, which increases heart attack risk. They also help fight bad cholesterol.6. Sweet potatoes: They are rich in vitamin A, fi-

ber and lycopene making them a healthy substitute for the white brethren.7. Oats: Oats in all forms help your heart by lowering bad cho-lesterol.8. Flaxseeds: Fiber, phytochemicals called lignans, and ALA - these three ingredients in these small seeds make them a power-house of health. Sure protector of heart if had spoonful in pow-

dered form everyday in cereals or salads.9. Chilli powder: Dif-ficult to believe, but these Indian tasty spice actually protects heart and body from diabetes with its ability to spike up the natural insulin levels in the body.10. Coffee: It can keep away type 2 diabetes, but people having high blood pressure should be cautious as it can have a counter effect.

A pattern of disturbed sleep could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s dis-ease, suggest scientists.Working on a mouse model, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, found that when the first signs of Alzheimer’s plaques ap-pear in the brain, the normal sleep-wake cycle is significantly disrupted.“If sleep abnormalities begin this early in the course of human Alzheimer’s disease, those changes could provide us with an easily detectable sign of pathol-ogy,” said senior study author David M. Holtzman, professor and head of neurol-ogy at Washington, the journal Science Translational Medicine reported.“As we start to treat Alzheimer’s pa-tients before the onset of dementia, the presence or absence of sleep problems may be a rapid indicator of whether the new treatments are succeeding,” added Holtzman.Holtzman’s lab was among the first to link sleep problems and Al-zheimer’s through studies of sleep in mice genetically altered to develop Al-zheimer’s plaques as they age, according to a university statement.In a 2009 study, he showed that brain

levels of a primary component of the plaques naturally rise when healthy young mice are awake and drop after they go to sleep. Depriving the mice of sleep disrupted this cycle and acceler-ated the development of brain plaques.A similar rising and falling of the plaque component, a protein called amyloid beta, was later detected in the cerebro-

spinal fluid of healthy humans studied by co-author Randall Bateman, profes-sor of neurology at Washington Univer-sity.The new research, led by Jee Hoon Roh, neurologist and postdoctoral fellow in Holtzman’s lab, shows that when the first indicators of brain plaques appear, the natural fluctuations in amyloid beta levels stop in both mice and humans.

Smokers who value the fu-ture are more likely to stop smoking, new research has found. In order to make this dis-covery Drs. Heather Brown and Jean Adams of Newcas-tle University (UK) tapped into eight years of data from a large Australian database. The Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Aus-tralia (HILDA) survey col-lects data on economic and subjective well-being, work, and family dynamics every year from over 7,000 Aus-tralian households. Brown and Adams identified 1,817 partici-pants who were smokers at the start of the survey (2001) and analysed their plan-ning regarding their saving and spending to measure their future orientation. People whose spending and saving plans looked ahead by more than three months were categorized as having a longer time horizon, while those whose financial plans looked no more than a week ahead had a shorter time horizon. The researchers then looked at how many

of those 2001 smokers had quit or tried to quit by 2008. Seventy-six percent of quitters were long-time-horizon planners, compared with 66 percent of those who continued to smoke. Researchers in other fields have found similar associations: newly diagnosed diabetics who are future-focused are more likely to make healthy changes to their diet and exercise habits, and cocaine users who discount the future are less likely subsequently to stop using the drug.“It is possible that helping smok-ers to think about the future a bit more might be a useful way to help them quit,” said co-author Jean Adams.

You need tons of energy to cope with your hectic lifestyle, es-pecially if you are into sports. Here's a list of foods that give you enough stamina to keep you active throughout the day.While certain foods in your diet can actually re-duce stamina, healthy foods help to build up your stamina and in-crease your energy levels, espe-cially if you're interested in sports and athletics. As a sportsperson, you need foods that are designed to not only give you energy but also keep you feeling full all day long. Says nutritionist Smruti Gokhale, "Nutrients like complex carbs, proteins, fibre and vitamin C is crucial for those who are into sports. These nutrients keep you active and feeling energetic."

E s s e n t i a l nutrientsComplex carbs: When you are talk-ing about building stamina, you just cannot miss out on complex carbs. Carbs are the main source of fuel for your body and brain. Says Priya Kathpal, nutritionist, "Carbs are the food that the body uses to get glucose, which provides energy. Complex carbs are present in foods like bread, pasta and rice, which un-like simple carbs, keep you feeling energetic all day long."

Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps strengthen your immune system and protects you from infections like cold and cough, which sap your energy. Also, when you are out-doors, you are more susceptible to

bacterial infections which hamper your health. Thus ensure that you consume foods and fruits rich in vi-tamin C.

Proteins: Protein is an im-portant nutrient for the growth, de-velopment and repair of muscle and body tissues. Protein has a higher metabolic rate than fat, so an indi-vidual can burn more calories. It is also said to increase satiety, which prevents a person from overeating. Healthy sources of protein include lean chicken, fish, eggs and nuts.Iron: Lack of iron in your diet can cause loss of stamina. You can get iron from meat, beans, nuts and some vegetables such as broccoli and spin-ach. Consult your doctor about taking iron supplements.

Foods that build stamina

Oatmeal: Oatmeal is an unpro-cessed carb, which gets digested slow-ly and hence keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time. Says Kathpal, "A power-packed cereal, oatmeal pro-vides sustained energy for hours. Due to high content of complex carbs, it breaks down slowly in your body and keeps the blood sugar at optimum level."

Beans: Rich in mineral and iron which helps your body to generate RBCs (Red Blood Cells) that carry oxygen to the muscles when you are exercising and also builds stamina.

Coffee: Coffee is known to be an instant energy provider. It is known to help fight against fatigue, as it triggers the central nervous system. Coffee keeps you energised and ac-tive throughout the day.

Green leafy vegeta-bles: Packed with micronu-trients, it is essential for building

stamina and also to improve your RBC count. Green leafy veggies are rich in fibre and digest slowly while maintaining your blood-glu-cose level. Bananas: Bananas are a particularly good energy source and these are best eaten a few hours before you intend to exert yourself. Along with being great sources of carbs, they are also effec-tive because they trigger the release of 'dopamine' — a chemical that builds your concentration and focus.

Peanut butter: Peanuts are said to contain Omega 3 fatty acids that helps in reducing pain, boost heart health and develop your brain. Peanut butter is also excellent for building stamina. It is high in calories and digests slowly. Consume peanut butter in combination with com-plex carbs.Lean meat, fish, chicken and eggs: Says Gokhale, "Rich in protein, these foods are important for growth and development, muscle building and repair. Meat takes a lon-ger time to digest and thus keeps you feeling full and active all day long."

Red grapes: Red grapes con-tains 'resveratol' which provides in-creased energy. These grapes contain a very small amount of sugar, which gives you instant energy and helps build stamina.

Beetroot juice: Consum-ing a glass of beetroot juice before exercising will make your body work for long hours without feel-ing exhausted. Beetroot is rich in vitamin A and C — both help in building stamina and reducing fa-tigue.

10 foods that protect your heart Sleep disorders signal Alzheimer’s disease

Future-focused smokers likelier to quit

New hope for people with fatal lung cancerScientists have discovered new potential targets for treating squamous cell lung cancer, which causes approximately 400,000 deaths per year worldwide. Squamous cell lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, colorectal, or prostate can-cer, ranking second only to lung adenocarcinoma in the number of deaths it causes. But unlike the most common form of lung cancer, squamous cell car-cinoma has no treatments aimed at the specific genetic alterations that drive it. Now The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, led in part by scientists at the Broad In-stitute, Dana-Farber Cancer Insti-tute, and Harvard Medical School, has identified many potential ther-apeutic targets based on the large number and variety of DNA alter-ations they discovered in most of the tumours they studied. "This study clearly shows that squamous cell carcinoma, like lung adenocarcinoma, is a cancer with diverse genomic causes, many of which are potentially susceptible to drug inhibition," said Matthew Meyerson, co-leader of the project

within TCGA, Broad senior as-sociate member, and professor of pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This provides many new thera-peutic opportunities for squamous cell carcinoma that would be suit-able for clinical trials," he noted. The first targeted treatments for lung adenocarcinoma, erlotinib (Tarceva) and gefitinib (Iressa), were aimed at mutations in the EGFR gene. Unfortunately, and like other drugs being tested in clinical trials that target several other genes altered in lung ad-enocarcinoma, they do not help patients with squamous cell car-cinoma. The TCGA effort, a multicenter consortium funded by the Nation-al Institutes of Health, is the first comprehensive genomic charac-terization of this lung cancer sub-type. As in the three previous TCGA reports on the brain cancer glio-blastoma, on ovarian cancer, and on colorectal cancer, the scien-tists used multiple large-scale ap-proaches to highlight key molecu-lar defects. They sequenced the

protein-coding segments of the genomes of 178 squamous cell car-cinoma tumors, along with normal tissue from the same patients. The researchers also sequenced the whole genomes of 19 tumor and normal tissue pairs. They mapped a diverse catalog of ge-nomic alterations, including the rearrangements of chromosomes and other structural changes in regions of the genome that might not encode proteins but could con-trol nearby genes involved in can-cer development. The comprehensive study con-firmed some previously identified genomic alterations. For example, the TP53 gene was altered in 90 percent of the tumours and the CDKN2A gene was inactivated in 72 percent of tumours. These genes normally prevent cancer, but when they are switched off, tumours can grow unimpeded. CDKN2A may be susceptible to a kinase inhibitor, presenting an op-portunity for clinical trials. Overall the researchers identified mutations or amplifications in three families of tyrosine kinases, which are enzymes that act like power switches for many cellular

functions. Frequently altered in cancer, they are already being in-vestigated as therapeutic targets in other cancers. The researchers also found genomic alterations in signalling pathways that could present important opportunities for treatment. In another striking finding, the re-searchers discovered mutations in the HLA-A gene that hampered its function in tumours. HLA genes direct the arm of the immune sys-tem that discriminates between its own tissues and foreign invad-ers. This is the first cancer in which these mutations have been found, but they are likely to oc-cur in other cancers, Meyerson said. "To our knowledge, this is the first example of a tumour that has a genomic mechanism for evading an immune response. This may be important in under-standing the immune response to squamous cell carcinoma and also in envisioning how immune-regulatory therapy might be used for this disease," he said. While much works needs to be done, the scientists see many op-portunities.

Sunday 25 Aug 2013

Kashmir ThunderSunday 25. 08 . 2013

Sonia Gandhi rules out early Lok Sabha polls

NEW DELHI: Scotching specula-tion, Congress President Sonia Gan-dhi on Saturday ruled out the possi-bility of early Lok Sabha polls.

"Our aim is to go till the very end," she told reporters after the inaugu-ration of the National Media Centre here.

Gandhi initially tried to steer clear of the question when asked by reporters whether Congress would go for polls after passage of landmark legislations like Food Security bill and the Land Acqui-sition bill.

"I cannot say anything," she re-marked when another questioner put the same query.

But when journalists persisted, she gave the reply of going "till the very end".

There has been talk of Lok Sab-ha polls, due next year in April-May, being combined with the Assembly polls in some states later this year in November. More so, the BJP has been asking the government to seek an immediate mandate in the wake of a looming economic crisis.

Gandhi also expressed confidence that UPA will come back to power after the next polls, noting that the rights given to the people by the rul-ing alliance were its USP.

"Certainly, 100 per cent......obvi-ously so many rights we have given.

It is our right to information, right to education and now right to food is our USP", she said when asked about the possibility of UPA com-ing back to power and what was the USP on which the elections will be fought.

To a query, she said hopefully the Food Security Bill, which has been pending consideration for long, will

be passed next week. "How can I say?" she said when

asked whether BJP will cooperate in its passage.

On the Telangana issue, she said that the AICC panel headed by A K Antony is hearing the concerns of those affected. She said Government will also be setting up a committee, but did not elaborate.

Court dismisses PIL against ban on VHP's yatra

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court today dismissed a petition against the Uttar Pradesh government's ban on VHP's pro-posed Yatra from Ayodhya.

A division bench comprising Justice Laxmi Kant Mahapatra and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhaya dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a local lawyer Mahesh Gupta.

The PIL was filed yesterday, seeking a direction to the state government to allow the devotees to undertake the 84 kosi parikrama in Ayodhya from tomorrow.

"Since the petitioner has not pleaded any cus-tomary right to this parikrama regarding past sev-eral years it is dismissed," the court said.

On behalf of the state government, Additional Advocate General Bulbul Godiyal said, "Such type of parikrama was never organised in the past 50 years and as per Hindu belief it is performed in "Chaitra" month of the Hindu calendar which has already passed away as it was in between April 25 to May 20".

The court observed, "There is nothing in the writ petition to show that the 84 kosi parikrama is a religious custom followed at the place mentioned and it was stated by the state counsel that such a parikrama has never been undertaken in the last 50 years".

Court further said, "In the absence of any material showing that the parikrama proposed to be undertaken is a part of religious custom, no such direction can be is-sued as no right occurs. The writ petition is accordingly dismissed".

Godiyal told the court that the proposed period of the yatra between August 25 to September 13 is not for the re-ligious purposes but it may be for political reasons.

She said that this parikrama could also pose a threat to maintaining status quo at the disputed site in Ayodhya as ordered by the Supreme court.

On behalf of the petitioner, counsel Dinesh Chand said that according to Hindu belief the king of Ayodhya performed the "yagna" in the "treta period" at a place in Makhurha in Basti district of UP, and so the parikrama has to be started from there.

He said that the parikrama of 84 kos is in remembrance of the Kaushal kingdom which consisted of this area spread over six districts and so the saints may be allowed to undertake it.

Congress will win more than 20 seats in 2014 LS

polls: Karnataka CM

BANGALORE: Buoyed by Congress victory in the Lok Sabha bypolls for Man-dya and Bangalore Rural seats, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to-day expressed confidence about winning more than 20 of the 28 seats in the state in the 2014 general elections. "From the positive results in Lok Sabha byelections to Mandya and Bangalore Rural seats, I can only feel confident that the Congress will grab more than 20 seats..," he told reporters at

"Krishna", his official resi-dence here.

Asked how he saw the Congress win against BJP-JDS-KJP alliance, he said people had voted for his party as they had seen through their "opportunis-tic" alliance.

"They came together, not based on ideology or programmes; nor do they have any commitment to policies," he said.

Siddaramaiah said the results suggest that JDS had been taught a lesson

as they thought Mandya and Bangalore Rural par-liamentary constituencies were their bastion.

KPCC chief G Paramesh-wara said people had keen-ly observed "unhealthy alliance" between JDS and BJP and rejected it. He also said Congress was confi-dent of winning 28 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the par-liamentary elections.

On demand from his supporters to make him the Deputy Chief Minister, he said, "I have worked for

Lok Sabha passes bill for hike in pension for ex-governors

New Delhi: A bill seeking an increase in emoluments and pen-sion for ex-governors has been cleared in Lok Sabha. The bill was in-troduced by Minister of State for Home RPN Singh.

Introducing the Gov-ernors (Emoluments, Allowances and Priv-ileges) Amendment Bill, 2012, Singh said former governors do not get any pension or post-retirement ben-efits except medical facilities as per rules issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. "Keep-ing in view the high constitutional office that a governor holds and con-sidering the contributions in public discourse that they would continue to make after they retire, it is pro-posed to provide the secretarial as-sistance to ex-governors in the form of one Personal Assistant, which the ex-governor concerned may appoint on reimbursement basis, during his life time," Singh said.

But the person will not be eligible for such secretarial assistance for the period during which he is re-appointed to the office of governor or elected to Parliament or the state legislature or appointed to any office of profit under the Union or a state gov-ernment.

Lok Sabha passes bill for hike in pension for ex-governors

Until now former governors were only entitled to medical facilities as per rules is-sued by the Ministry of Health and Fam-ily Welfare.

The personal assistant will be paid a salary of Rs 28,000. In a lighter vein, Singh said the opposition should not have any objection as husband of Lead-er of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, as well as Leader of the House Sushilku-mar Shinde, are beneficiaries. Swaraj's husband Swaraj Kaushal and Shinde are ex-governors.

Earlier, initiating the debate on the Bill, Kirti Azad (BJP) pointed out that the post of governor has been misused often with the Centre using them to target state governments. He said recom-mendations of the Sarkaria Commission, Punchhi Commission and Venkatachal-liah Committee should be implemented to prevent this.

Credibility is me-dia's currency: PM Manmohan Singh

Credibility is currency, when it comes to the me-dia, and a witch hunt can-not substitute investigative journalism, Prime Minis-ter Manmohan Singh said on Saturday.

Speaking at the inau-guration of the National Media Centre here, the prime minister said the exponential growth in In-dia's media sector began during the 1990s, and ex-pressed confidence that the media would not be found wanting in efforts to consolidate India as an inclusive, progressive so-ciety.

"A witch hunt is no sub-stitute for investigative journalism. At the end of day, credibility is media's currency," the prime min-

ister said, adding that the spirit of inquiry should not lead to calumny.

He said the media was among the principal ben-eficiaries of the wave of economic reforms intro-duced in the country, and advancements like the internet, the telecom revo-lution, low-cost broadcast-ing and social media were inconceivable just two de-cades ago.

The National Media Centre in central Delhi has modern infrastruc-ture and will serve as the communication hub of the government. It is likely to house the Press Informa-tion Bureau as well. It has a hall for press conferences, and workstations for me-dia people.

Vizag refinery blast toll rises to fourThe toll in Friday’s

blast at the HPCL’s Vi-sakh Refinery went up to four with three more persons succumbing to their burn injuries on Saturday.

According to an offi-cial statement, three of the 39 injured who were undergoing treatment in different hospitals in the city succumbed to their burn injuries. They have been iden-tified as A. Apparao, A. Srinivasa Rao and Manojeet Pradhan. An employee of HPCL C.H. Murali died on the ac-cident spot, the official statement added.

On Friday evening one of the cells of the Salt Wa-ter Cooling Tower of the Refinery was being commis-sioned. During the opening of the water line at around 16:30 hrs, there was a minor explo-sion and fire. The cooling tower collapsed. Due to the fire, workers in other cells also sustained burn injuries. The fire was put off with the help of fire tenders from Navy

and other neighbouring establishments.

With some workers reported missing, the ad-ministration continued clearing of the basin to identify any casualties.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi rushed to Vi-sakhapatnam on Satur-day and visited the fire victims.

Court sends Abdul Karim Tunda to 14 day judicial custody

NEW DELHI: Top Lashkar-e-Toiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda, who has been admitted to the AIIMS for spe-cial cardiac care, was today sent to 14 days' judicial custody by a Delhi court.

A magistrate visited Tunda in hos-pital and remanded him to custody till September 7.

Tunda was scheduled to be produced before the court today after expiry of his four-day police custody.

He was admitted to the All India In-stitute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) yes-terday for special cardiac care.

-year-old Tunda, who was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border last Friday, was admitted to Safdurjung hospital on August 22 after he complained of chest pain.

However, keeping in view the specialised care and se-curity concerns, he was shifted to AIIMS the next day and admitted in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit.

A Delhi court on August 20 had remanded Tunda to four day police custody for questioning him in connection

with 37 bomb blast cases across the country.

The police had told the court that Tunda was a declared pro-claimed offender in a case of recov-ery of explosive substances lodged in 1994 at south Delhi's Malviya Nagar police station under the pro-visions of stringent anti-terror law TADA.

During the proceedings, which had been held in-camera, after a lawyer interrupted it, Tunda had

told the court that he was "innocent" as he had not mo-tivated anyone to kill women and children by exploding bombs. Tunda is one of 20 terrorists India had asked the Pakistan government to hand over after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and is suspected to be involved in 40 bomb-ings in the country.

He is the first in the list to be arrested. According to Delhi Police, he is wanted for his role in 1993 Mumbai se-rial train blasts.

Mumbai photojournalist gang-rape: two suspects sent to police custody till Aug 30The Mumbai Police today arrested

Vijay Jadhav, the second accused in the Mumbai photojournalist gang-rape case. The two accused, Jadhav and Sattar have been sent to police custody till August 30.

A combination image shows sketches of five suspects, released by the Mumbai Police, allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a photojournalist in Mumbai. AFP

Police arrested Jadhav at 3am on Saturday morning in the gang-rape which has sparked outrage and pro-tests across the country, based on an information.

Identified as Vijay Jadhav, a Dombivali resident, the accused was reportedly arrested from a video par-

lour in Mumbai’s Madanpura. Both the accused will be produced before the Bhoiwada magistrate court later on Saturday. Three other accused -- Qasim Bengali, Saleem and Ashfaq-- are still at large.

Additional commissioner of police, crime, Niket Kaushik confirmed Jadhav's arrest. He confirmed that Vijay Jadhav was arrested by crime branch team from Nagpada brought to Unit 3 of crime branch at 3am.

Vijay Jadhav is school drop-out, unemployed and lives with his two elder brothers.

Out on an assignment, the pho-

tojournalist was raped in a deserted textile mill in central Mumbai on Thursday evening after the five ac-cused assaulted and tied her male colleague.

Twenty police teams, includ-ing 10 from the crime branch, are tracking their three other accom-plices, all of whom have been iden-tified and are aged between 18 and 20.

On Friday afternoon, the police had arrested Chand Abdul Sattar who lives at Dhobi Ghat, close to the mill. He was on Saturday morn-ing produced before a court which remanded him to police custody till August 30.

The five men, all school dropouts, were jobless and visited the mill of-ten. Two even have robbery cases registered against them.

"The police prepared sketches based on the statement of the victim and the witness and made an ar-rest," Singh said.

The state government has said the case will be fast-tracked and offered services of Ujjwal Nikam as the lawyer to fight the woman's case.

The woman and her colleague were doing a photo-shoot at the com-pound between 6 and 6.30pm when they were accosted by two suspects. They questioned the duo about their

presence on the railway property and were soon joined by their accomplic-es.

In a chilling reminder of the hor-rific December gang-rape case in Delhi last year, the woman's col-league was badly beaten up and tied by the perpetrators before she was raped. The victim has been admitted to Jaslok Hospital and underwent a minor surgical procedure on Friday. She is recovering well and is in stable condition, Mumbai Police said on Sat-urday.

Meanwhile, the assault has fuelled protests all over India and unruly scenes were witnessed in the Parlia-ment on Friday.