UDHAMPUR
In order to manage its territory better, Army’s Northern Command has floated tenders for procuring 49 NK Mini-UAVs from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). These machines will serve as electronic eyes to troops in sensitive belts especially the LoC and LoAC. These machines must have electronics sensors, propulsion system, on-board camera, control mechanism, trans-receivers, re-chargeable batteries besides having the capacity to take-off and land without needing any kind of runway and auto piloting itself and autonomous operational feature. These will fly 1000 meters up and weigh 10 kgs each. Northern Command also wants 20 new snow mobiles.
NEW DELHI
It was a surprise for Kashmir when Sonia Gandhi announced her acceptance to the Congress membership request of 15 persons from the state. Apart from PDP and NC, these included many ambitious ‘free floating electrons’ like Farooq Renzu, former director information who tried to create his empire on faith. There was Murtaza Khan a former MLC who foresees disintegration of PDP, the party he represented for all these years. But it ended in an embarrassment as two of the 15 – Aslam Goni and Balbir Singh claimed they did not join. Goni has been a tainted political adviser to Dr Abdullah and Singh is PDP leader.
NOWHATTA
They waited and waited till they found no option but to be on road, literally. The seven sisters from Nowhatta whose only brother Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh is detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) were in press colony on Saturday demanding his release. A bus conductor who is being held in sub jail Kupwara has been slapped PSA for third time. They said Mushtaq does not pelt stones but police always detains him when they fail to manage situation. Mushtaq was arrested in 2008 and was detained in Kot Balwal. He was bailed out on September 19 and rearrested.
SRINAGAR
As eight infant deaths including those of twins took place in the G B Panth Hospital for children, it was Pentavalent vaccine that was blamed. It forced Ghulam Nabi Azad to send a six member team of experts from Delhi that Dr N K Arora led. These deaths, the team said, have taken place because of Pneumonia, Septicaemia and Meningitis as some of them were suffering from liver disorders. They investigated the deaths and were shocked how state’s medical apparatus led by Congressman Taj Mohi-ud-Din functions at the execution level. They said Pentavalent vaccine, also known as Easy-Five, that replaced traditional DPT, and given to protect infants from hepatitis-B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and Hib (haemophilus influenzae type-b) is safe.
BATAMALOO
Mushtaq ul Islam of the Hizbullah fame was finally set free. Arrested in 2010, he would celebrate his first Eid with the family. During his current detention, Mushtaq fought PSA 11 times. He now works with the Muslim League and is keen to trigger the process of purging the tehreek. During these three years he was re-arrested 17 times after being bailed out, a record in itself.
SHOPIAN
It happened in 2007 and it was one of the most brutal murders of the year. Mohammad Yasin Wani who was Imam of Jamia Masid in Heerpora (Shopian) was calling Azaan for the late evening prayers, was attacked from behind midway and he died on the spot. The subsequent investigations led to the arrest of three who were awarded life imprisonment last week. These include a father and a son. The trio included Abdul Rashid Wani, his son Sajad and Rafiq Takad of Rajouri. Motive was to usurp the property as a failed relationship lacked a way out.
JAMMU
Remember the godman Asaram Bapu who is cooling his heels in jail for sexploiting a teenager. Now, he may have some skeletons of shame and sin buried in Jammu, literally. Bhola Nath, the caretaker of Asaram’s Bhagwati Nagar ashram spread over 286 kanals in Jammu has revealed that there were a few children buried there and he is willing to identify the spot. He has claimed that three children who died in mysterious conditions in the Ashram lay buried there. The police have been directed by the court to trace the spots and exhume the dead. As police is waiting for Nath, expect a surprise.
J&K government has retrieved 173566 kanals of state land from unauthorized occupants even as 1534263 kanls are under unauthorized occupation.
Under the Roshni scheme that was converted into a scandal by the Ghulam Nabi Azad government, the government has bestowed ownership rights on 348155 kanals against Rs 317 crore of which only Rs 76.45 crore stands paid.
