SKICC
In a two day film festival managed by a private player in partnership with state’s tourism ministry, two oldest Kashmiri films were screened – Habba Khatoon and Mainz-e-Raath. While the former 123 minute telefilms by Bashir Badgami is about the romance and poetry of a 16th century legendry poet who married the last king of independent Kashmir, the latter is about the customs of marriage. The festival witnessed screening of 13 other short films, some of them foreign.
JAMMU
There have been many complaints in the past but this is the first in which a top officer acted, quite swiftly. Thanks to ADGP (armed) S M Sahai. He took no time in acting on a complaint that constable Deepak Kumar lodged accusing inspector Mehboob-ul-Haq and SSP Mansoor Ahmad Untoo of exploiting his wife. Swift investigations were carried out by two IGP rank officers Prithvi Raj Manhas and T Punchok and the crime was established. The case was submitted to the state police chief who put the services on the two under suspension. Now the law will take over.
GANDERBAL
Chief Minister in J&K is always in news if he is not flying in the chopper. But last week, Omar was in news for wrong reasons. Firstly, when Omar went for a visit to Tral, there were elaborate preparations for his public meeting in the Bejwani stadium that was purged of all the mulberry plantations overnight. Despite all this, Omar choose an in-door meeting at the residence of one of its erstwhile veterans. Secondly, the party’s announcement that Omar may skip the erstwhile “King’s Constituency” and contest from Sonawar in 2014. Whatever the reasons, it will be for the first time since 1975 when no Abdullah will contest from Ganderbal. Omar lost his maiden assembly election in 2002 and later won in 2008.
DODA
Azad’s relative and Bhaderwah MLA Mohammad Sharif Niaz has started facing the music. He has written to police against Abdul Majid, a Chakkarbati, Bhaderwah resident, who might have been his voter for “abusing” him. He has claimed the man was drunk. Police has registered an FIR and even summoned the man to the police station. But can not a lawmaker manage a voter without getting police in between?
RAJOURI
SHO Nowshehra was checking vehicles in Gujral Chowk when he detected Alto PB08BF-9322 with tinted glasses. He stopped it and started removing the tinted sheet. This angered the inmates. Within minutes a posse of soldiers appeared on the scene, took away the vehicles and beat the cops. Two of them Shafiq Hussaian and Shabir Mirza were injured. It got revealed that car belonged to an army major Utsav and his wife Urvi, a captain in the army, who had rang up their unit that came to their rescue. Later, police registered a formal case and seized the vehicle. Army has announced it is also investigating the case.
RAMBAN
Budhi Singh has used his intelligence quite differently and it was exposed during a recent visit by his high-ups to his Upper Primary School in Gandhote where he was found absent from April 1, 2009 to March 28, 2013. He was posted in this state run school as ReT. As the investigations started for his prolonged absence, it was revealed that Singh had enrolled himself as a PhD scholar in the Jammu University. He had hired a local to teach in his place as he was completing his PhD in Urdu! It was another Singh, Rajesh who made a complaint and the racket was out. As he skipped responding to the notices, his ZEO terminated his services. But that requires conformation by CEO, something that is yet to take place.
ZANSKAR
After a long wait, it was finally the High Court that helped a couple to meet their son, a student of Leh’s Lamdo Model High School. Sidiq (previously Sonam Padma) and his wife converted to Islam last year. The majority community intervened by asking the Buddhist run boarding school not to permit them to meet their son – Lobzang Tamchus, because unlike them he is a Buddhist. After a protracted wait, they approached the High Court that asked police to ensure their meeting.
PNB has moved to take over the property of politician businessman Iftikhar Hussain Ansari to recover Rs 13.34 crore default. Not doing well, Ansari is in US.
Jammu has 26,077 unregistered power connections. Last year, the state had 34,753 illegal connections.
