Srinagar, Feb 07 : Former Law Secretary and former BOPEE Chairman Gh Hassan Tantray on Thursday passed away after protracted illness at Qamarwari Srinagar.
Reports said that Tantray was suffering a protracted illness passed away Thursday afternoon. A resident of Bhagatpora Handwara held the position of Commissioner Secretary Law Department during Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress coalition government and was later posted as Commissioner Secretary ARI & Trainings department.
After retirement he was appointed Chairman Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) and this post retirement position for a period of three years.
Former Law Secy G H Tantray passes away
Police ferries pregnant lady from Kangroosa Rafiabad to hospital.
Baramulla:In a humane gesture, station house officer (SHO) Dangiwacha Rafiabad rescued a pregnant lady despite heavy snowfall, from upper reaches of Kangroosa in Rafiabad area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday.
Locals said due to heavy snowfall all roads leading to tehsil and district headquarters were cut off. A pregnant lady from Kangroosa was to be shifted to hospital immediately. However due to blocked roads and unavailability of ambulances in the area, SHO police station Dangiwacha Rafiabad, Mudassir Geelani rescued the pregnant lady from Kangroosa village.
Eyewitness said that the lady was taken to SDH Dangiwacha in police Rashak Vehicle from the area.
“It was impossible for any vehicle to ply due to 3 feet snow accumulation on the road. But SHO Mudassir without any delay, took our patient in a police vehicle upto SDH Dangiwacha. We are very thankful to SHO and police,” a relative accompanying the patient said.
India aim for strong comeback after Wellington hiding
Auckland, Feb 7 (PTI) A strong comeback will be expected from India after the hammering from New Zealand in the series-opener when the two teams square-up in the second T20 International at Eden Park here on Friday.
After suffering their biggest loss in T20 Internationals in terms of runs on Wednesday night, India don’t have a lot of time to introspect with just 24 hours separating the two games.
It was the kind of day when nothing went right for India who let New Zealand amass 219 before surrendering meekly in the steep chase.
Opener Tim Seifert took the Indian bowlers to cleaners with a 43-ball 84 and visitors must have a plan to contain him on Friday.
Not even the seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar was spared as he, alongside Hardik Pandya and Khaleel Ahmed, leaked 12 runs an over.
The team could replace Ahmed with either Siddharth Kaul or Mohammad Siraj, who warmed the bench on Wednesday.
The spinners, Krunal Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal, did alright but the team management will also consider including chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.
The lack of fight in the run chase was a big disappointment, as mentioned by captain Rohit Sharma in Wellington. Despite having eight batsmen in the eleven, India lost by 80 runs.
“As a team, we have been good at chasing down targets which is why we play with eight batsmen. We believe that whatever the target is in front of us we can chase it down, but we just couldn’t do it tonight,” said a disappointed Rohit after the game.
He himself would like to lead from the front after scoring 1 on Wednesday and a significant contribution will also be expected from Rishabh Pant, who is in the running for a World Cup berth.
He could not do much in Wellington, getting four off 9 balls before spinner Mitchell Santner bowled him with a fast yorker.
All-rounder Vijay Shankar was promoted to number three and did alright with a 18-ball 27. It remains to be seen if he gets another shot at the same position or the team brings in Shubman Gill, who would be desperate to perform after the two failures in ODIs.
While it is a must-win game for India, another victory will seal the series for the hosts who were outplayed 1-4 in the preceding ODIs.
Captain Kane Williamson could not be more happy with the showing in the first T20 but wants his team to fully focus on the job at hand.
“It was a complete performance that doesn’t happen everyday and hope we can keep the momentum through the series having set the tone,” he said.
The dangerous opening duo of Colin Munro and Seifert put the Indian pacers under tremendous pressure early on in the innings and dismissing them cheaply will be crucial for the visitors’ chances.
Coming back into the side after playing just one ODI against India, veteran Tim Southee proved his immense value with tidy figures of 17 runs in four over including three wickets.
The spinners, Ish Sodhi and Santner, too were on top of the Indian batsmen, sharing two wickets apiece.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Siraj.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson(c), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin Munro, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner, James Neesham.
Russia plans to invest USD 14 bn in Pakistan’s energy sector
Islamabad, Feb 7 (PTI) Cash-strapped Pakistan is set to receive an integrated Russian investment package of USD 14 billion for the country’s energy sector, including offshore gas pipeline and underground storage projects, a media report said Thursday.
A Russian delegation headed by Gazprom Management Committee Deputy Chairman Vitaly A Markelov pledged to make the investment during a recent visit to Pakistan, the Express Tribune reported.
The Russian companies would build a gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore to transport imported gas for meeting the needs of the Punjab province.
Out of the USD14 billion, Russians would invest around USD 10 billion in an offshore gas pipeline project, USD 2.5 billion in the North-South pipeline project and the remaining on building underground storages in Pakistan, the report said.
Pakistan and Russian state-run entities on Wednesday signed inter corporate agreement to conduct a feasibility study of the USD10-billion offshore pipeline project.
The planned massive Russian investment in Pakistan is coming at a time when bilateral relations between Moscow and Islamabad were warming up.
Pakistan’s ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities and the chill in the US-Pakistan relations has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.
Under this project, Russian company, Gazprom, will conduct feasibility steady to build offshore pipeline from Iran to Pakistan, according to the report.
Pakistan’s Minister for Petroleum Division, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, appreciated the expanding trajectory of bilateral relations between Russia and Pakistan and welcomed Gazprom’s interest in off-shore gas pipeline project and termed it a manifestation of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.
The pipeline construction is expected to be completed in three to four years.
Inter State Gas Systems (ISGS) Managing Director Mobin Saulat and Markelov signed the agreement.
Under the deal, Russia will export 500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to one billion cubic feet per day gas to meet the growing demand of gas following industrialisation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
A feasibility study would be conducted by Gazprom at its own cost with no financial implications on Pakistan.
Russia holds huge gas deposits in Iran and has offered Pakistan and India gas exports by laying an offshore pipeline that will pass through the strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian sea.
Russia has been a big gas exporter to the European Union countries and Turkey since long and despite US anger, the European bloc has continued to make imports to meet its domestic needs.
Moscow receives gas from Turkmenistan and then exports it to EU states. It has got and managed gas deposits in Iran as well and is looking to gain foothold in the Pakistani market, the report said.
Certain economic benefits such as transit fee would accrue to Pakistan if the project is implemented, the report said.
Pakistan will import some 500 million to 1 billion cubic feet of gas from Russia daily, which would be transported through sea link, the agreement says.
The pipeline would follow an integrated approach including other ancillary projects such as underground gas storage, desalination and other power projects.
Moreover, the project would bring Pakistan on the world map as the transit country for offshore gas pipelines, the report said.
Vadra appears before ED for another day of questioning in money laundering probe
New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) Robert Vadra, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for the second day on Thursday in connection with a probe into allegations that he laundered money to purchase illegal foreign assets.
Vadra, who was grilled for five-and-a half hours for the first time in the case on Wednesday, arrived at the ED office in Jamnagar House in central Delhi at about 11:25 am, about an hour after his team of lawyers.
Officials said Vadra was required to rejoin the probe on Thursday as he needed to answer more questions on allegedly acquiring immovable assets in United Kingdom.
His statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as was done Wednesday, they added.
He was asked about a dozen questions by a team of three ED officials, including the investigating officer of the case.
His appearance before the ED on Wednesday acquired political overtones with his wife Priyanka Gandhi, appointed Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanying him to the investigating agency’s office. She took charge of her new post at the Congress’ national headquarters on Akbar Road after that.
“He is my husband, he is my family…I support my family,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a show of support to Vadra, who returned from London on Wednesday.
This is the first time that Vadra is appearing before any probe agency in connection with alleged dubious financial dealings.
On February 2, he was directed by a Delhi court to appear before the central probe agency and cooperate in the probe after he knocked at its door seeking anticipatory bail in the money laundering case.
Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being “hounded and harassed” to subserve political ends.
His lawyer said Wednesday night that Vadra had replied to every question put to him.
“All charges against him are wrong. We will cooperate with the agency 100 per cent. He will come whenever he is called,” lawyer Suman Jyoti Khaitan told reporters.
The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.
The agency also told the court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.
In December last year, the ED conducted raids in the case and grilled his close aide Manoj Arora, an employee of Skylight Hospitality LLP, a firm linked to Vadra, as well as others.
The agency told the court that it filed a PMLA case against Arora after his role cropped up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the 2015 anti-black money legislation against absconding defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari.
It alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for 1.9 million GBP and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately 65,900 GBP on its renovation.
The BJP seized on the questioning of Vadra on Wednesday to attack the Congress and alleged he got kickbacks from a petroleum and defence deals took place during the UPA regime.
Vadra is also supposed to be present before the ED on February 12 in Jaipur in another money laundering case related to a land scam in Bikaner. The Rajasthan High Court had directed him to cooperate with the agency in the case.
Disastrous Disaster Management
Heavy snowfall in Kashmir used to be its hallmark. But immediate snow clearance has never been. Frozen pipes, choked drains, ripped power supply lines; massive traffic snarls and poor telecom network have become synonymous with winter season of Kashmir.
Is Kashmir division the only region in the world that receives snowfall? No is the answer. Encyclopedia, Wikipedia and Google and other search engines suggest that there are multiple countries and regions with human habitations that receive heavy snowfall than Kashmir.
But do the inhabitants of those places face similar problems as are faced by common Kashmiris? Again ‘No’ is the answer. Surf all sources of information and you will find that traffic moves smoothly, trains don’t get stuck, there are no power cuts, drains are not choked, garbage collection does not get affected, water supplies are on and above all the people relish the winter season.
The question remains where do we lag behind? Is our administration not swift or they are not effectively trained to cope up with the challenges posed by the winter? These questions assume more significance because the common people are subject to suffer in these modern times. Timely weather predictions and round the clock internet connectivity that makes everybody aware of forecasts. This all does not seem to be sufficient for our administration! What else do we need to make them to act on ground?
The mock drills and other shows conducted by the so called disaster management in Kashmir during summer season has proven to be a hoax. Need of the hour is that we need to train our line departments on how to tackle winter vagaries properly and ensure that they receive refresher courses during summer seasons as well. Or else the people of Kashmir valley shall always cry for help during the winter season which once they used to long for.
CB registers case for commission of fraud
Srinagar, Feb 07 : Crime Branch Kashmir registered a case punishable U/S 420,466,120-B RPC, on the basis of communication received from Assistant Registrar J&K Special Tribunal, Srinagar.
The communication inter-alia reveals that a case titled Jalla and others V/S Ghulam Nabi and others was subjudice before the said tribunal.
The said case was decided by the then Member J&K Special Tribunal, Sgr, vide order dated 24.07.1996.
Subsequently an application was filed on behalf of respondents of above titled case namely Mohammed Ashraf Bhat & Zahoor Ahmed Bhat sons of Mst. Azizi, seeking therein quashment of the said order, for reasons of commission of fraud committed by the opposite party by insertion of word “and possession” in the said order.
On enquiry it has come to fore that insertion “and possession” has not been made by Member of the J&K Special Tribunal, who has passed and signed the said order, instead said insertion has been made by counsel of the petitioner party in order to render undue benefit upon the beneficiary party.
Pertinent to mention here that in the original order no orders were passed with regard to the possession of the suit land. (KNS)
JRL Calls For Complete shutdown Feb 09, 11
JRL on Thursday called a Complete shutdown on the death anniversaries of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru on 9th and 11th February.
On Monday, 11th February 2019, besides a complete shut-down, Protest demonstrations to demand the return back of mortal remains will be held at Lal Chowk Srinagar, JRL said in a statement.
A memorandum will also be dispatched to UN secretary general, the Statement said.
PDP’S Irshad Kar resigns
Srinagar, Feb 07 : Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Baramulla district president Irshad Rasool Kar Thursday quit from the basic membership of the party.
Kar confirmed to Kashmir News Service (KNS) that he has left the party because of some reasons which he refused to reveal.
“I have sent the resignation letter to the party president. From now onwards I won’t be having any association with the party,” he said.
Kar belongs to influential political family of north Kashmir. He is the son of veteran Congress leader of his days late Ghulam Rasool Kar.
PM will inaugurate several projects in Arunachal Pradesh
Itanagar, Feb 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate several projects and lay foundation of many vital schemes in Arunachal Pradesh during his visit to the north-eastern state on Saturday, officials said Thursday.
Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a green field Airport at Hollongi near here, they said.
The ambitious airport project in the state has been pending for several years due to controversies over site selection. Arunachal Pradesh is the only state in the country without a full-fledged airport.
Initially, Karsingsa was selected as the site for the airport but owing to technicalities, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to find some other site.
On the request of the state government, a central joint inspection committee visited Itanagar to study the feasibility of the site during 2017 and recommended Hollongi.
The prime minister will also inaugurate a retrofitted airport at Tezu in Lohit district besides a 110 MW hydro electric project, Arun Prabha channel of Doordarshan and 50 health and wellness centres in the state.
Modi will also lay the foundation stone of a Film and Television Institute at Jote, near here and seven electric sub stations under Comprehensive Scheme, the officials said.
He would lay the foundation stone of Sella Tunnel and its approach road in Tawang district besides declaration of cent per cent household electrification in the state under Saubhagya Scheme.
All the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony would be held from Indira Gandhi Park here, they said.
From Itanagar, Modi is scheduled to visit Assam and Tripura.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of the PMs visit to the state capital. Large contingents of central paramilitary forces besides state police have spread a dragnet across the state capital since Wednesday and thorough checking of visitors at all checking points is going on to prevent entry of unwanted elements, DGP S B K Singh said.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday took stock of the arrangements at IG Park, the officials added.