Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended New Year greetings and wished that it will be filled with hope, happiness and lots of success.
“Have a great 2023! May it be filled with hope, happiness and lots of success. May everyone be blessed with wonderful health,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet.
People across the country thronged temples to offer prayers on the first day of the New Year.
High Court has directed the Funds Organization to provide minimum wages to the Sweepers, Chowkidars and Gatekeepers working in the department.
Justice Javed Iqbal Wani quashed the orders and communication of the Finance Department maintaining the job of Sweeper as part time and directed the Government to pay wages to the petitioners at par with other employees.
Also Read: Jammu locals stage protest, take out democracy’s funeral march
Various employees of Funds Organization through their counsel T H Khawja approached the court claiming to be working as Sweepers, Chowkidars and Gatekeepers in the department and seek that the authorities be directed to pay wages to them at par with minimum of the pay scale attached to the posts of Sweepers and Chowkidars as also consequential Dearness Allowance admissible of such basic pay.
Court said the observation made by the Director and Commissioner are perverse, arbitrary, discriminatory and suffer from vice of having been passed without application of mind as also based upon no evidence.
Court quashed the impugned order as also communication and commanded the authorities to pay the petitioners wages at par with SRO 460 of 2017 read with Government Order No. 25-F of 2018 or any other statutory modification there-from the date of issuance of said SRO or statutory modification thereof.
ADGP Armed J&K, S J M Gillani has ordered promotion of 367 Police personnel, who include 353 Assistant Sub-Inspectors to the rank of Sub-Inspectors and 14 Head-Constables to the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspectors.
In this regard, two separate orders were issued by the Armed Police Headquarters J&K Srinagar.
Also Read: Let us work together to take J&K to new heights: LG in New Year message
The promotions of such a huge number of ASIs to the rank of Sub-Inspectors could be possible in view of the onetime 1 year, 8 months’ relaxation granted by the PHQ J&K in the qualifying service of the ASIs of J&K Armed Police.
The promotion orders have been issued after the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), headed by ADGP Armed J&K as its Chairman, examined the cases of eligible ASIs and HCs as per their seniority and found them fit for promotion to their next rank in light of the relevant promotion norms read with the onetime relaxation granted by the PHQ J&K in the instant case.
The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a New Year message appealed to everyone to work together to take the Union Territory to new heights of achievement.
In a message, the Lt Governor said, “My warmest greetings and good wishes to all on the joyous occasion of New Year.”
“It is an occasion to reflect upon the year gone by and to renew our resolve to strive for inclusive development and to maintain the impetus towards higher economic growth, social development and overall progress of the society in the year ahead,” he said.
“We are determined to redouble our efforts for rapid growth, economic security & prosperity to meet the aspirations of the people. Let us work together to take J&K UT to new heights of achievement. May the year 2023 bring prosperity, good health and happiness to all”, said the Lt Governor.
Cyber scammer hacks email of woman, steals Rs 1.5 lakh from account in Jammu
Ashish Kohli
Jammu, Dec 31: A Cyber scam has appeared in which a cyber-fraudster hacked a woman’s email account and stole Rupees 1.5 lakh from her bank account in Jammu on Saturday.
According to the report, a cyber criminal hacked an email account of a woman identified as Vasudha and stole one and half lakh rupees from her bank account.
Watch Video
Ms Vasudha told the media that a person hacked her mobile’s gmail id and got access to her bank account numbers from the mails which she received from the shopping deductions of money in Jammu.
“He first hacked my e-mail and might have gained access to my bank accounts through the mails which I received from the money deductions when I use to shop from differnet shopping websites. At first, I received two mails of money deductions of Rupees 4,000 on my mobile, and till now approximately he has stolen Rs 1.5 lakh from my account”, she said.
She further said that the local residents of Jammu should be vigilant of such cyber criminals in Jammu and appealed the people to forward her message.
Aman Zutshi
Jammu locals stage protest, take out democracy’s funeral march
Jammu, Dec 31: Several members of Jammu’s Aam Aadmi Party headed by Chairman AAP J&K Harsha Dev Singh staged agitation against local administration and carried out a funeral procession allegedly in the name of democracy outside Nirvachan Bhawan in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu on Saturday.
The protestors were heard saying ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’ and holding charpoy with bed sheets on their shoulders, calling it the funeral of democracy in J&K UT.
Interacting with the media, former minister and Chairman AAP J&K, Mr Harsh Dev Singh allegedly said that Democracy has died in J-K and they are conducting its final rites outside the Election commisson office in Jammu, and they are astonish to see that the local regime is being run by the bureaucrats appointed by the centre.
“From past four months a proxy rule imposed by the central regime is running in J&K and outsiders who are not natives of the UT have been operating the administrative affairs here, corruption is at its giddy heights and the masses are deprived of their basic facilities such as water, electricity, health and roads. No, one is interested to hear the woes of local populace. All the political parties in J&K region has failed in their duties. If the central administration considers J&K part of India, then they should restore democracy here, why they are keeping the local people of J&K at bay from democracy”, he said.
He further said that they have staged several protests for the people and today they have discussed all the problems of people with local govt.
“Our economy is degrading everyday and the residents of J&K are in despair with no one in sight to help them.”, he said.
Around 24 percent of the population of Jammu and Kashmir owns a personal car, according to the statistics released by the union government.
According to the data released in the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021), 23.7 percent of people in J-K own a car. Goa tops the list where 45.2 percent of the population has cars followed by Kerala where 24.2 percent people owned cars.
Also Read ‘New Qualifications For Sarpanch In J&K’, Fake or Real
J-K, including Ladakh, ranks number one in north India followed by Himachal Pradesh where 22.1 percent owns a car. Similarly, in Punjab 21.9 percent owns private vehicles, while in Delhi and Haryana 19.4 and 15.3 percent population own personal cars.
According to the officials, the private owned vehicles in J-K have doubled in the last seven years. The data shows that private vehicles have increased from 12 lakh in 2015 to 24 lakh in 2022.
Sharing the data on his micro-blogging site Twitter, Chairman Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra said, “What are your conclusions when you see this map? I’m curious…(sic),”.
As per the details shared by the Union Finance Ministry, J-K’s per capita income has crossed Rs 1 lakh mark. The data reveals, J-K’s per capita income recorded in the financial year 2019-2020 was Rs 1,02,789.
In 2015-16, per capita income in J-K was Rs 73,215, it went up in 2016-17 to Rs 76,634, in 2017-18 per capita income was Rs 84,471, while in 2018-19 it was Rs 95,448.
However, many in Kashmir complain that the introduction of private vehicles have severely affected the public transport in the erstwhile state.
“In the past 8 years, the public transport in Kashmir has completely disappeared. After 7 pm people in Srinagar can’t think of finding any public vehicles on roads. Situation is worse in towns n villages. Efforts to revive public transport have failed becoz of Govt’s disinterest (sic),” Samaan Lateef, a senior journalist tweeted.
Sajad Ahmad, who lives in Chadoora Budgam, said that he has to leave around 5 pm from Srinagar to catch a cab to reach home.
“I work in Srinagar, and it is very difficult for me to commute, especially in the evening time as you hardly find public transport plying on the road,” he said. “Everybody seems to have their own private vehicles nowadays.”
The average population in India that owns a car has risen up to 7.5 percent compared to 6 percent in 2018.
Saying that the “only ember of hope in these bleak circumstances is the judiciary”, former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has written to the Chief Justice of India urging the apex court’s intervention for justice, dignity and human rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti, in her letter to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, has said that while the “judiciary has not inspired much confidence”, she has not lost the “unflinching faith and respect for the courts of the country.”
Also Read: 37% decline in terrorist recruitments this year
“I write to you with a deep sense of concern and worry about the prevailing situation in the country especially J&K. Your recent observations on the inability of lower judiciary to grant bail in ordinary cases in a functioning democracy as ours should have been adopted as a directive rather than just being consigned to a single column story churned out in newspapers,” Mufti said in her letter.
“The fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and guaranteed to all Indian citizens are being brazenly impinged upon. Unfortunately it is these basic rights that have now become luxuries and entitlements bestowed upon only those select citizens, who toe the Government’s line on political, social & religious matters. And more worryingly, to those who actively contribute and not obstruct GOIs idea of an India where its strengths of diversity, religious pluralism and tolerance must be weeded out and crushed to lay the foundations of a one religion nation where minorities are relegated to the social, political & economic fringes”.
Mufti said the Centre has adopted an iron-fist policy in the region and has suspended the fundamental rights of the people since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019.
Dec 31: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday lauded the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), calling them ‘Himaveer’ (snow bravehearts) and said no one can encroach even an inch of our land when they are there at the borders.
Hailing the ITBP personnel, he said they guard our borders in harsh conditions and that the title of ‘Himaveer’ for them is bigger than Padma Sri and Padma Vibhushan.
“We cannot even imagine how they guard our borders in minus 42 degree Celsius temperature. This can happen only with a strong willpower and supreme degree of patriotism. The ITBP works in the odd geographical conditions in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh or Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said after inaugurating the Central Detective Training Institute of the ITBP here.
Also Read Search Operation Conducted Along IB In J&K’s Samba
“People of India call the ITBP soldiers as ‘Himaveer.’ This title is bigger than the Padma Sri and Padma Vibhushan civilian awards. While the civilian awards are the government title, ‘Himaveer’ is the title given by the people of India,” Shah told the gathering.
Among all the central armed police forces, the ITPB works in the most odd weather conditions, he pointed out.
“I am always assured and never worry at all about the Indo-China border when our ITBP soldiers are patrolling or camping because no one there can encroach even an inch of our land,” the Home Minister said.
He also said the Government of India is planning to provide 100 days for the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel to spend time with their family at their headquarters.
“This is necessary from a human point of view,” Shah added.
Police and security forces on Saturday conducted a search operation in several forward villages along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, a police officer said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations-Samba) G R Bhardwaj said the focus of the search operation was to look for any underground tunnel and create public awareness about drones being used to smuggle weapons from across the border. The search operation comes in the wake of a recent gunfight in Sidhra bypass area in Jammu that left four terrorists aboard a Kashmir-bound truck dead. The terrorists are believed to have infiltrated from the International Border (IB) and were heading to the Valley when they were intercepted by the security forces.
Also Read J&K Govt Razes Property Of Hizbul Commander Amir Khan In Pahalgam
”In view of the recent encounter, security has been beefed up and the vulnerable areas searched,” Bhardwaj, leading the joint operation of the police, CRPF and BSF, told reporters.
He said the search operation started from Chek Dhurma, the last village along the IB, Saturday morning.
”We have clear-cut directions to go for frequent search operations to maintain pressure on anti-national elements to foil their nefarious designs. The searches are being carried out especially in areas having wild grass to look for any cross-border tunnel and suspicious objects,” the officer said. He said the opportunity was also used to demonstrate drones to border dwellers so that they can immediately inform the nearest security establishment on seeing any such flying object coming from across the border or lying on the ground.
The operation covered several forward villages, including Manguchek, Sadechek, Regal and Chahwal.
