YASH KHAJURIA: 1st Snow, Rain freeze JKCold wave engulfs state...

1st Snow, Rain freeze JK

Cold wave engulfs state, NH-1 closed

YASH KHAJURIA:
1st Snow, Rain freeze JK
Cold wave engulfs state...: 1 st Snow, Rain freeze JK Cold wave engulfs state, NH-1 closed Yash Khajuria 1/6/2012 8:22:47 PM JAMMU, Jan 06: With snowfa...

1st  Snow, Rain freeze JK

Cold wave engulfs state, NH-1 closed
Yash Khajuria	1/6/2012 8:22:47 PM

JAMMU, Jan 06: With snowfall lashing the many parts of the region, winter chill has engulfed Jammu since past 24-hours. Rains and snowfall not only brought down the temperature but also blocked the National Highway. Due to heavy snowfall and rainfall at Patnitop and Jawahar Tunnel the NH-1, got blocked cutting off the major supply route to Kashmir valley. As the authorities has warned of a high danger avalanche and landslides in the rainfall and snowfall affected areas throughout the National Highway. Official sources has said, due to Snowfall at Patnitop and around Jawahar Tunnel has rendered the highway slippery and vehicular traffic has been stopped till the weather turns appropriate the Jammu-Srinagar highway will remain closed for vehicular traffic, and shall open till the landslides which have occurred at a number of places on the road are being cleared completely. As the national highway is been closed there are long queues at different places by the vehicles on the either sides of the national highway. Though, People intending to undertake travel from either side are being advised that they should contact the traffic control rooms before starting their journey, to get updated about the latest status of the national highway. “The snow had stopped at most of the places when the last update was received but it was raining in Jammu and at several places in Kashmir including Banihal and Pahalgam,” said an Official. He also strictly advised to the tourists who had gone to the above stated areas that till the permission from the concerning department is granted do not try to move on the road to the highway it can be extremely hazardous for them. Meanwhile Mata Vaishnodevi cave shrine today witnessed season's first snowfall, worsening the cold wave condition enroute the pilgrimage. The yatra was however going on smoothly with over 15,000 pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage today. Helicopter services for the pilgrims have been suspended in view of the continuous snowfall in Trikuta hills where the shrine is situated. The shrine, which is situated in Reasi district, and its adjoining hills received season's first snowfall this afternoon, officials said. Due to the snowfall, cold conditions are prevailing enroute cave shrine but pilgrimage is going on smoothly, they said, adding over 15,000 pilgrims are undertaking yatra to cave shrine today. There was continuous snowfall in Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Patnitop, Batote, Banihal, Pir Panchal ranges in Poonch and Rajouri districts, besides Bani Basohli areas in Kathua since this morning resulting in extreme cold wave conditions. Jammu city experienced cold wave conditions due to rainfall, they said, adding the rainfall was also reported in Katra, Udhampur, Reasi plains in the region.

Electricity: An Incomplete Promise

'Times Of India' 
Electricity: An Incomplete Promise  

Villages Jia and Houja: Are still in dark.

Yash Khajuria 

Jammu January 04:

 “A rotten apple spoils the barrel” 

The proverb above fits exact when we come to know that despite of regular claims by the government for developing the rural pockets, the villages of Jia and Houja in district Doda is enough to defame all the claims by the Administration Since they are still deprived of basic amenities like electricity.

Bringing aside the Tall claims of Government about development of rural areas in Jammu province, villages of Panchayat Halqa Jia of Tehsil Thatri, District Doda is showing the exceptional scenario of the helplessness.

Basic amenities like electricity have yet to light their homes; the village reflects a perfect picture of being an area behaved like Step by the authorities.

The villages Jia and Houja of the area have not yet facilitated with the electricity not to mention of electricity while the villagers of Jia said that despite of several knock on the door Steps of the concerned authorities why they couldn’t yet have electricity, is better known to the authorities.

     The whole Panchayt Jia is consisted with the population comprising about more than 3000 inhabitants in it, “there are some houses in the villages who managed electricity for themselves by making an alternate Connection from Village Tippri- 2 kilometers away from Jia , there is no power and we are paying power rent that too without having it” said a local.         Pertinent to mention that Sarpanch of the Panchayat Halqa Jia, - Ram Rattan along with a social activist - Kuldeep Kumar Rao have also presented the condition of the villages in written demanding for an Electric Transformer to village Jia, ahead the table of several Officers Concerned including Chief Engineer, Power Devlopment Department (PDD), The Copy Of Which has been delivered to Superintending Engineer, Elect. Maintenance and R. E. Circle-III, Batote for information by the Chief engineer, (PDD) but nothing has been happened so far, as the applications are moving by tables.

  Even after that when the deputation went to the Mohd. Shareef Naaz, MLA concerning demanding either Transformer or Solar Lights for the above mentioned Villages. They got disappointment as the MLA has advocated that providing such amenities are costing more than rupees 10 lakhs and are not affordable to him.

However almost 15 days ago, solar lights have been installed in their neighboring village but Village Jia is still in the dark.

“What could more dreadful that despite being an area which receives no electricity, the government has even failed to provide the solar lights to them” said K K Rao.

He said that every time an estimate for providing such needs has made by the authorities but when it comes to the on ground work nothing has been done so far, even the last time the estimate was made in 2009, though 2 years has been passed and we are still in the Dark.

Assault case at Bishnah

Assault case at Bishnah
Victim harassed by police, accused released on bail
Yash Khajuria	1/3/2012 9:30:00 PM
JAMMU, Jan 03: It sounds a typical Bollywood action flick, where a innocent youth is brutally assaulted by a group of influential boys, but police rather than taking action against the accused in turn harass the victim. Yesterday night, a youth Ashwani Kumar son of Darshan Lal resident of Nandrol Bishna was on way to his home with his friend when five persons forcibly stopped his vehicle and begun beating him on the road, without any provocation. Despite his repeated pleas, asking the accused why he is being beaten up, the accused thrashed him for more than ten minutes. Later after reaching home, the family member of the victim approached the concerned police station and told them about the whole issue. However to their surprise, the police officials present on the occasion told then that there is shortage of men at the police station and they will lodge FIR in the morning. Later a complaint was lodge in Bishnah police station under FIR no 341, 323 RPC 34, but despite the fact that Ashwani was brutally beaten up, with intent to harm him, it become the case under 307, attempt to murder. “They wanted to kill me and despite my plea to the police that they should lodge FIR under 307, 302, police tried to push up the matter and instead lodged other minor sections”, Ashwani alleged. Further the family alleges that the second SHO on duty police station Bishnah, Surjit Kumar misbehaved with the family of the victim and instead they were treated as culprits by the police. Family members of the victim alleged that as the persons involved in the assault case belong to influential families, police is trying to save them. “They also misbehaved with us when we insisted that harsher sections should be applied against the accused. Police is openly trying to save them”, alleged a relative of the victim Though the police have arrested two persons off the five involved in the case, but later under pressure, they have been granted bail by the police. “It raises suspicion, why the police is trying to save these people and is not helping us. Ashwani was brutally thrashed by the accused”, alleged a relative. Later victim has was shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) for x-ray and MRI scan as he was feeling pain in his head and other parts of the body. He also received three stitches on his head.