AWARDED: Construction of a 6.5 km long, two-lane, 10 metre-wide Z-Morh tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg is starting this year and the contract is awarded to a Hyderabad based company. The decision is taken by the Government of India. The project is a part of the mega road communication project to ensure undisrupted connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh. Its estimated cost is Rs 2716.90 crore.
JOINED: Deputy Director Prosecution Syed Bari Andrabi, who resigned from his government job, has joined People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Andrabi hailing from Pucchal, Pulwama, has served as Chief Prosecuting Officer Srinagar from 2002 to 2013. 49 years old Bari, did his LLB from University of Kashmir in 1990. He has also done a diploma in business administration.
DECLARED: A court issued proclamation against 14 absconding beneficiaries in CET-2012 paper selling scam seeking their presence by or before April 24, the next hearing. The proclamation is issued on a motion filed by Crime Branch (CB) Kashmir. In total, till now CB have arrested 23 and charge sheeted 19 people.
REMEMBERED: On the 14th anniversary of Pathribal fake encounter, a remembrance meet was organized in Brari Aangan, in South Kashmir’s Islamabad district. Demanding justice and a probe by an international rights organization, the people held a protest demonstration. The victims of the fake encounter include Jumma Khan, 42, a labourer, his namesake son of Amirullah, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, 22 and Mohammad Yousuf Malik, 25, both from Halan, Kapran village in Verinag area, and Zahoor Ahmad Dalal, 20, of Moominabad, Islamabad.
CONSUMED: 66% people, more than five lakh households, in the state consumed contaminated and untreated tap water supplies by the public Health and Engineering Department. The official data disclosed that 93,707 households comprising 4.7 % of population consumed water from uncovered wells out of the total 131,162 households who consumed water from wells.
ARRESTED: Zia Ur Rehman alias Waqas, a Pakistani national wanted in connection with several bombings, and three associates have been arrested from Rajasthan by Delhi Police which claimed to have averted a “spectacular terror attack” during elections. He was arrested outside Ajmer Railway Statio n, Delhi.
COMMITTED: The security of inmates lodged in different jails of Jammu has become a cause of concern as Ganesh Dutt, son of Bishan Dass, an inmate of Central Jail Kot Bhalwal, who was awarded life imprisonment for murdering his wife eight years back allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the Central Jail. No suicide note or any incriminating material was recovered from the site of incident. The jail officials are looking into the matter but no substantial detail is out yet.
RECOVERED: Police and 14 Rashtriya Rifles of counter insurgency Kilo Force recovered arms and ammunition from Shokbab Sahib, Bandipora district after a specific intelligence input. The recovered arms and ammunition includes three AK-47 rifles, two radio sets, 34 UBGL grenades, six detonators and five kilogramme of gun powder.
FAILED: The much touted state Hydel Policy, which focuses on development of micro-power project in the private sector, has failed to take off as despite repeated advertisements independent power producers have not been coming forward mainly because of imposition of water usage charges. The policy of micro power projects in the private sector was first formulated in the year 2003 but nothing much has been done.
COMMITTED: Sarabpal Kour, wife of Ravinder Singh of Digiana set herself ablaze after a quarrel with her husband over a trivial issue. She was rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where she failed to respond to the treatment and succumbed to her burn injuries. The body was handed over to family members for last rites after completing legal formalities.
REJECTED: Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, AK Sahu, the Returning Officer for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat rejected nomination papers of five candidates leaving 19 contestants in fray for April 10 election. The contestants, whose papers were rejected, are Ved Mahajan (covering candidate of PDP), Kavinder Gupta (covering candidate of BJP), Ritu Devi (covering candidate of BSP), Girdhari Lal Bhagat, candidate of Bharatiya Bahujan Party (BBP) and Dr Karan Kumar Gupta, Independent.
JOINED: PDP’s former zonal president Kangan, Ghulam Mohammad Dar and Bashir Ahmad Khan, Chairman Welfare Committee Ahmadnagar Buchpora, Srinagar have joined Awami Itihaad Party (AIP). Ghulam Mohammad Dar had contested on PDP ticket in 2002 Assembly Polls and bagged impressive number of votes.
RECOMMENDED: Taking strong note of recent human rights violations by police, the Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Commission (SHRC) recommended putting on hold the promotions of policemen facing allegations of rights abuses before the Commission. The concern was expressed over recent incidents of human rights violations including killing of Farhat Ahmad Dar of Naidkhai Bandipora. It was also stated in the meeting that there is a big number of complaints pending before the Commission against police officers and officials of the State regarding harassment and misuse of official positions.
