DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 (PAGE 5 ...
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DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 (PAGE 5) Dr Jitendra inaugurates first-ever exhibition on ‘Transforming India’ Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Apr 20: On the occasion of Civil Services Day today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugu- rated an Exhibition on the theme “Transforming India”, highlight- ing various progressive schemes and programmes initiated by the Modi Government and the out- come of their implementation. The two-day exhibition, which is the first of its kind and organized by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (ARPG), is being held at Vigyan Bhawan and has been conceived with the objective of showcasing different welfare programmes brought in during the last two years. Accompanied with visual dis- plays and video clips, the exhibi- tion focuses on several flagship programmes, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachch Bharat Yojana, Swachch Vidyalaya Yojana, Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, etc. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that during the last two years, under the constant inspiration and motivation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Department of ARPG, along with the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), has truly emerged as the Research & Development (R&D) wings of the government and have been con- stantly engaged in planning new reforms and effectively pursuing them. For the first time in several decades, Dr Jitendra Singh said, not only the public welfare schemes are being launched, but as a result of constant monitoring, many of the targets are being achieved before time. Citing one such example, he referred to “Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana”, which, he said, Prime Minister outright- ly laid the target of 1000 days for rural electrifica- tion of over 18,000 vil- lages of the country which were still devoid of power supply. The exhibition stall of the scheme put up today, not only depicted the rapid progress made in imple- menting the scheme, but also claimed that possi- bly the entire rural elec- trification process will be achieved much before the target of 1000 days, he added. Similarly, the stall relating to “Jan Dhan Yojana” depicts the latest update on the amount deposited in accounts opened through this scheme, which, on date, is over Rs.36,000 Cr. Dr Jitendra Singh also informed that, unlike in earlier years, for the first time, several interactive and academic duscis- sions will be held simultaneous- ly in four different Halls of Vigyan Bhawan. To enlarge the ambit of these discussions, he said, at least eight Ministers of the Union Cabinet will be pres- ent at one or the other session and the main session will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow. On the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh also released a book on “Transforming India”. Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha, Union ARPG Secretary Devendra Choudhary, Union DoPT Secretary Sanjay Kothari, Former Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, Senior former and present Secretaries of Government of India and Chief Secretaries of dif- ferent States attended today’s function. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh going around different stalls and dis- plays after formally inaugurating the, first of its kind, exhibition on theme “Transforming India” organized by Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (ARPG) at Vigyan Bhawan on Wednesday. MLA Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana speaking during Bharti Foundation’s Quality Support Programme at Jammu on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh Rana lauds Foundation for gigantic initiative Bharti Foundation to implement Quality Support Program in 15 Govt schools in Nagrota Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu and the Chief Education Officer, Jammu to support the Government’s initiatives in enhancing the quality of education in the rural blocks of Nagrota, Dansal and Bhalwal in Jammu district. The Foundation will begin operations in these blocks and cor- responding Education Zones by extending its successful Quality Support Program to 15 Government Schools, selected and run by the Directorate of School Education, Jammu in Nagrota Assembly constituency. The Quality Support Program supports Government Schools to improve the overall quality of schooling experience. As part of the partnership, Bharti Foundation will work with the school leader- ship and the Directorate of School Education, Jammu to jointly implement interventions that con- tribute towards enriching the over- all schooling experience. Additionally, the Foundation will share best practices and facil- itate capacity building for the teachers and school staff. This pro- gram stands to cover more than 3500 students and include 175 teachers across the 15 schools falling in 14 Halqa Panchayats of the 3 blocks of Nagrota. Currently, 39 Government Schools are bene- fitting from this program across the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi reaching out to 21,620 students and impacting 953 teachers. Devender Singh Rana, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Nagrota, said, “Education truly is the first step in developing self-esteem for the future generation and Bharti Foundation’s initiative in this regard is a source of inspiration for “Young India”. Simrandeep Singh, the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu said, “The launch of the Quality Support Model is a good initiative by the Bharti Foundation and we will extend all possible support to make this initiative a success.” J. K. Sudan, Chief Education Officer, Jammu said, “we will jointly create initiatives to bring in excellence in education in our schools and also help our commit- ted teachers on their journey towards imparting quality educa- tion.” Speaking on the occasion, Vijay Chadda, CEO, Bharti Foundation said, “We are very happy to start our Program in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. With this new partnership, we look for- ward to learning and sharing best practices and contribute to the good work being done by the Directorate of School Education, Jammu.” Zulfkar, Akhtar inaugurate exhibition on life & culture of Tribal Communities Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali and Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar today inaugurated the first ever national painting exhibition on life and culture of Tribal Communities of Jammu and Kashmir at Kalakendra. The special focus of the 3-day event is on Gujjar Communities of J&K. The exhibition has been organized by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation in collaboration with District Administration Udhampur. Naeem Akhtar speaking on the topic of cultural diversity said that God made us all different and we need to appreciate and respect the dif- ference and diversity present in mankind and do our part in ensuring the preservation of our cultural heritage. Stressing on the importance of education, he said that the real meaning of education is not in the number of degrees acquired but in knowledge and learning. He said the well read and edu- cated of a community need to be proud and not ashamed of their cultural legacy and work towards bringing coherence between modern technology and traditional community profes- sions thereby preserving the tra- ditional way of life, yet moving ahead towards development. Appreciating the efforts of Dr Javaid Rahi- renowned tribal researcher of Gujjar community, Naeem Akhtar stated that the Tribal Gujjar Culture is very rich in terms of its color and vibran- cy. He said that Education Department has a new initiative called ‘Learning through Art’ under which, the department will organize various camps for children in the state covering arts and traditional crafts. He asked the artists working in trib- al arts and culture to associate with the programme. Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali while addressing the gathering pres- ent at the exhibition said that he has been involved with the foundation since his tenure as Tribal Minister. He said he had the opportunity to attend the national painting camp where he saw young and budding artists working with enthusiasm and that dedication is clearly visible in the works showcased here. He said establishment of the tribal museum would great- ly assist in preservation of cul- tural identity of the many tribes of the State. Requesting all to come together and contribute in devel- oping the various communities of the State, Zulfkar said that if any community gets neglected and is left behind in develop- ment, the picture we will paint of the State would be like a painting left unfinished by the artist. Dr. Javaid Rahi-renowned tribal researcher and event organizer said that all 26 paintings displayed in two main galleries of Kala Kendra are an outcome of a national painting camp held in Jammu in January this year. He said the main objective of this event was to attract the artist fraternity of India towards the vivid tribal and nomadic cul- ture of the state, mainly to get them nearer to colorful cul- ture of Gujjars, Bakerwals and other tribes. Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Dr Shahid Iqbal also visited the gallery. He said that through this event the nomadic life and culture of different Schedule Tribe groups of the State will receive boost. Artists whose painting are on display are Kulwant Singh Gill, K K Gandhi, R P Singh,Akram Khan, Satpaul Deol, Rohit Verma, Rakesh Kumar, Sahil Ohri, Narinder K Bhagat, Anjli Bharti, Munir Chowdhary, Mahva Gupta, Kanchan Verma, Sakhsi Khullar Gupta and others. Ministers Naeem Akhtar and Ch Zulfkar Ali evincing interest in a paint- ing on Wednesday. All departments daily wagers staging protest dharna outside DyCM's residence in Jammu on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh Casual labours, CP workers protest at DyCM's residence Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: Casual labours, ITI trained and CP work- ers engaged in various depart- ments under need basis in various Government departments, today held strong protest demonstration outside the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and demanded their regularization. A large number of these tem- porary workers led by their lead- ers Satish Sharma, under the ban- ner of All Departments Jammu and Kashmir Workers Coordination Committee assem- bled at the residence of Dy Chief Minister here this morning and started their protest demonstration followed by day long dharna. The agitating daily wagers were pro- jecting their burning issues. Taking banners and some placards in hands depicting their issues, the daily rated, ITI, casual and CP workers were shouting loud slogans against the State Government. They were also demanding release of their pend- ing wages and regularization of over 62,000 temporary workers engaged in various departments. Satish Sharma, president of the body and several other trade unionists addressed the gathering and criticized the Government for its indifferent attitude. They said that Government framed several committees, sub commit- tees and also gave assurances a number of times but their issues remained unresolved. Many workers are without wages since long and facing starvation but their wages have not been released for the last more than two years. They also warned to intensi- fy their agitation in near future if the Government failed to address their issues. Prominent among those who addressed gathering included- Kulbhushan Singh, Akhil Sharma, Darshan Singh Jamwal, Rakesh Kumar, Puneet Gandotra and Rajan Sharma. Secret ariat ‘Gherao’ on Apr 22 PHE daily wage workers' strike enters 39th day Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: The Government has remained unmoved even after the indefi- nite strike of PHE daily rated, ITI trained and CP workers entered 39th consecutive day today. The general public is suffer- ing badly in many areas of the Jammu region as the PHE daily rated workers have gone on indefinite strike. The Government has totally failed to resolve the issue even after the lapse of so much of time. The most affected are the people liv- ing in rural areas as majority of the pumping and water supply stations are operated by the temporary staff. The half hearted approach of the Minister for PHE, I&FC Sham Choudhary to break the dead lock and resolve issue also remained unfruitful a week back. The employees were demanding release of their fifty percent wages in first instance and framing of policy for their regularization and a written assurance from the minister. After receiving a cold response on these demands, the workers union decided to go ahead with the strikle programme. Many workers are without wages for the last 35 months. A large number of workers under the leadership of Tanveer Hussain, Union president are sit- ting on protest dharna at PHE com- plex. They held strong protest demonstration against Government today. They have sus- pended entire work. The depart- ment is facing difficulty to main- tain supply to the public. Even in many rural areas the people are not getting water supply after three- four days. The Government has become mute spectator. Tanveer Hussain and several other trade unionists also addressed the gathering and alleged that despite assurances by senior officers their issues have remained un-resolved. They demanded that a policy be framed for the regularization of all type of temporary workers. They announced Secretariat `Gherao' programme on April 22. Shot in J&K, film Mantostaan selected for Cannes Festival Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: Setting another milestone for Jammu and Kashmir, son of the soil, director Rahat Kazmi's film Mantostaan, shot in the State, has been selected for Cannes Film Festival before its release. Film will be screened on 14th of May at Cannes Film Festival. Mantostaan is a dark satire based on four burning and the most con- troversial short stories (Khol Do, Thanda Ghosht, Assignment and Aakhri Salute) of legendary Urdu writer, Saadat Hassan Manto. The stories are set in 1947 India Pakistan partition time, throwing a spotlight on most inhuman side of human beings. Director of the film disclosed that choosing stories of Saadat Hassan Manto was a challenge for him, as his works remained most controversial. Kazmi said actors Raghubir Yadav, Sonal Sehgal, Shoib Nikash Shab, Virendra Saxena, Tariq Khan, Raina Bassnet and Sakshi Bhatt are the star cast of the film. He hoped that this tale of partition will touch a universal chord, beginning at Cannes Film Festival. Rahat said Ufi Production and JKF (Jitesh Kumar Films) from Delhi, Starclub NGO from Kashmir and Chhatisgarh Mudra Parishad from Raipur (Chattisgarh) are different organi- zations, which have come forward and support the cause of making a historical film on much deserved stories of a legend called Manto. Film is produced by Rahat Kazmi, Tariq Khan and Aaditya Pratap Singh and Co produced by Zeba Sajid and Associate producer is Javid Bandey from Canada. Tariq Khan and Rahat Kazmi duo is basically from Jammu and Kashmir and major part of the film was shot in Jammu and Poonch. Some part of the film was also shot in Punjab. The film will be screened at the Le Marché du Film category of the fest in May, ironically and coincidently with Manto's birth- day that falls on May 11, the day 1 of Cannes. The official screening of Mantostaan is on May 14 and 16. Tariq Khan said it is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that a film directed, produced and shot in J&K has been selected for Cannes Film Festival before its release. Officials of Blue Star during launch of stylish ACs in Jammu. —Excelsior/Rakesh Blue Star to open unit at Samba, announces launch of stylish ACs Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: Blue Star is going to open its manufactur- ing unit in Samba and first pref- erence will be given to talented youth of Jammu and Kashmir. This was disclosed by B Thiagarajan, Joint Managing Director, Blue Star Limited during a press conference here today. He was accompanied by Ajay Vakil, Regional Manager, North, Room Airconditioners Division, DH Roy, VP, Procurement and Supply Chain and Deepak Gurnani, Area Manager, Room Airconditioners Division. B Thiagarajan stated that the market for room airconditioners is expected to grow by around 15 per cent in FY17 and consid- ering our 5-year track record of outperforming the market cou- pled with our impressive new energy-efficient, eco-friendly and smart product range, we hope to achieve a market share of 12 per cent in FY17. He also announced the launch of a stylish range of air- conditioners comprising a wide array of highly energy-efficient as well as eco-friendly split air- conditioners for the residential and commercial segments. Blue Star’s new line-up of room airconditioners consists of over 135 models. This stellar range of airconditioners is in line with the new energy stan- dards prescribed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), he said, adding that Blue Star is amongst the first companies to comply with BEE’s voluntary labelling programme for invert- er split airconditioners as it has launched 16 models in the 5-star category and 13 variants in the 3-star category, as per the new BEE standards. He stated that all models have been designed to operate non-stop even at 50 degree Celsius. The entire range of star- rated inverter split aircondition- ers is equipped to function smoothly within a voltage range of 160V to 270V, without the aid of an external voltage stabiliser. This is of a huge advantage in locations with high voltage fluc- tuations. 8 of the 16 models of 5-star inverter split aircondition- ers will be equipped with a ‘smart’ Wi-Fi feature which enables the customer to operate the machine from any remote place within the Wi-Fi network, B Thiagarajan maintained. The Company plans to invest over Rs 30 crores on new prod- uct development as well as its research and design initiatives in FY17 in order to continue its endeavour to develop cus- tomised, modern and sophisti- cated products which can com- pete with the best in the world. Kargil Advocates seek cancellation of Distt Judge post exams Excelsior Correspondent KARGIL, Apr 20: Some practicing advocates and applicants for the post of District Judges (Direct Recruitment) from Kargil district today urged the Registrar General of J&K High Court to cancel the examination scheduled to be held on April 23 and 24 and issue fresh date in view of closure of Srinagar-Leh National Highway. In a letter addressed to Registrar General, the applicants, who are practicing Advocates at Kargil, said that Government had announced that Srinagar-Leh National Highway would be opened for traffic on April 20 as such they had decided to proceed to Srinagar on this date. Today, when the applicants went to Drass for onward journey to Srinagar the authorities did not allow them keeping in view closure of the road due to fresh snowfall. "The tickets from Leh are also not available at this time and the Army service from Jammu to Kargil and Srinagar to Kargil has also been suspended by the Air Force for few days due to bad weather condition", they further said. "We have no other means by which we would be able to reach Jammu on April 23 for appearing in the examination", they said and urged the Registrar General of the High Court to cancel the examination scheduled to be held on April 23 and 24 and announce fresh date. Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra to be taken out on April 30 Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra, will be taken out on April 30 by International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). This was announced by Navayogendra Swami Maharaj chairman of Lord Jagarnath Rath Yatra Committee while talking to reporters here today. He said prior to the rath yatra a Maha Aarti Utsav of the lord will be held at City Palace, here on April 29 from 5 pm onwards. In this festival 56 Bhoga (food- stuffs) will be offered to the Lord. This will be followed by Gaur Aarti in which there will be an offering of 108 Aarties to Lord Jagannath, Baldeva & Subhadra. Thereafter Navayogendra Swami Maharaj will give a discourse with Harinaam Sankirtan. After that dinner Prasadam will be served to devotees. He said on April 30 Rath Yatra festival will be celebrated. The procession of the Lord will start from Red Cross Bhawan (City Palace) Kacchi Chawni at 12 noon and will pass through Parade, Shalamar, Kanak Mandi, Rajinder Bazar, Shahidi Chowk, Raghunath Mandir, Indira Chowk, Gummat, Vinayak Bazar, Canal Road, Talab Tillo, Bohri and will reach Kashmir Hills Resort, Patta Borhi, Jammu at around 8 pm. Dinner Prasadam will be served to everyone there- after. Swami Ji said that the pulling of Rath (Cart) during the Rath yatra procession by the devotees symbolizes the attempt of the res- idents of Vrindavan to bring Krishna, Balarama and Subdhara back to Vrindavan from Kurukshetra. Therefore pulling the rope of the Chariot also signi- fies trying to bring Krishna (the supreme Lord) back to our heart, he added. Traditionally Rath Yatra was originated from Jagannath Puri , Orissa, thousands of years ago and by the mercy of His Divine Grace A . C . Bhaktivedanta S w a m i Prabhupada (Founder Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness) is being celebrat- ed in more than 100 cities of the world including Dublin, Belfast, Mexico, Singapore, New York etc, in which millions of people from all religions participate in the spirit of love for God. His Holiness explained that Lord Jagannath is not different from Lord Krishna, Baladev his elder brother; Balaram while Subhadra Devi is their younger sister. Sarvabhaum Bhattacharya Das, Temple president ISKCON Jammu, Vikram Malhotra: presi- dent Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra Committee, Jai Keshav Das: organizing president Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra Committee, Kuldeep Raj Dubey: president Swagat Committee, Pramod Kapahi: senior. vice president Swagat Committee, Rajan Bhan : general secretary, Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra Committee and all the exalted devotees of Lord Jagannath were present on this grand occasion. Chairman ISKCON Rath Yatra Committee Navajogendra Swami Maharaj addressing a press conference at Jammu on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh PSA slapped on hardcore criminal Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 20: A hardcore criminal involved in over half dozen cases registered with different police stations has been detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). As per police sources, a notorious criminal identified as Tajinder Singh alias Jinda, son of Darshan Singh, a resident of Ward Number 4, Simbal Camp, Miran Sahib has been detained under stringent PSA by District Magistrate (DM) Jammu Simranjeet Singh. The accused was involved in over half dozen criminal cases registered with different police stations including Miran Sahib. After slapping of PSA, he has been lodged in jail. The notorious criminal was arrested by a team led by SHO Miran Sahib police station SI Hilal Azhar under the supervision of SDPO RS Pura Harjeet Singh and SP Headquarters Jammu RC Kotwal. Martyr Tushar remembered on 27th birth anniversary Excelsior Correspondent UDHAMPUR, Apr 20: To remember the supreme sacrifice made by Captain Tushar Mahajan of the Army's 9 Para Special Forces, who laid down his life while fight- ing with terrorists at Pampore area of Kashmir in February this year, Little Flower Convent School Udhampur and newly created Tushar Fan Club paid rich tribute to the martyr on his 27 birth anniver- sary today. In this connection, a function was organized at Little Flower Convent School wherein local MLA Pawan Gupta was the chief guest. The MLA honoured parents of Tushar Mahajan and said that the nation cannot forget supreme sacri- fice of the martyr. Shewatketu Singh, a friend of the martyr and member of the Tushar Fan Club Udhampur, reit- erated the demand of nam- ing Udhampur Railway Station after the name of Capt Tushar Mahajan. He said that they have already sent a memoran- dum in this regard to the Defence Minister and Railway Minister. Fulfillment of the said demand would be one of the befit- ting tributes to the national hero and martyr who laid down his life at a very young age, he added. On the occasion, an athletic meet was also held in which stu- dents took part. The martyr was an alumni of the Little Flower Convent School. MLA Pawan Gupta honouring mother of martyr Tushar Mahajan at Udhampur on Wednesday.
Transcript of DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 (PAGE 5 ...
DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 (PAGE 5)
Dr Jitendra inaugurates first-everexhibition on ‘Transforming India’
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Apr 20: On theoccasion of Civil Services Daytoday, Union Minister of State(Independent Charge) forDevelopment of North EasternRegion (DoNER), MoS PMO,Personnel, Public Grievances,Pensions, Atomic Energy and
Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugu-rated an Exhibition on the theme“Transforming India”, highlight-ing various progressive schemesand programmes initiated by theModi Government and the out-come of their implementation.
The two-day exhibition,which is the first of its kind andorganized by Department ofAdministrative Reforms andPublic Grievances (ARPG), isbeing held at Vigyan Bhawan andhas been conceived with theobjective of showcasing differentwelfare programmes brought induring the last two years.Accompanied with visual dis-plays and video clips, the exhibi-
tion focuses on several flagshipprogrammes, including PradhanMantri Jan Dhan Yojana,Swachch Bharat Yojana,Swachch Vidyalaya Yojana, SoilHealth Card, Pradhan MantriMudra Yojana (PMMY), DeenDayal Upadhyaya Gram JyotiYojana, Pradhan Mantri KaushalVikas Yojana, Atal Pension
Yojana, Pradhan MantriSuraksha Bima Yojana, PradhanMantri Jeevan Jyoti BimaYojana, etc.
Speaking on the occasion,Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singhsaid that during the last two years,under the constant inspiration andmotivation of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, the Departmentof ARPG, along with theDepartment of Personnel &Training (DoPT), has trulyemerged as the Research &Development (R&D) wings of thegovernment and have been con-stantly engaged in planning newreforms and effectively pursuingthem.
For the first time in severaldecades, Dr Jitendra Singh said,not only the public welfareschemes are being launched, butas a result of constant monitoring,many of the targets are beingachieved before time. Citing onesuch example, he referred to“Deen Dayal Upadhyaya GramJyoti Yojana”, which, he said,
Prime Minister outright-ly laid the target of 1000days for rural electrifica-tion of over 18,000 vil-lages of the countrywhich were still devoidof power supply. Theexhibition stall of thescheme put up today, notonly depicted the rapidprogress made in imple-menting the scheme, butalso claimed that possi-bly the entire rural elec-trification process will beachieved much beforethe target of 1000 days,he added. Similarly, thestall relating to “JanDhan Yojana” depictsthe latest update on theamount deposited inaccounts opened
through this scheme, which, ondate, is over Rs.36,000 Cr.
Dr Jitendra Singh alsoinformed that, unlike in earlieryears, for the first time, severalinteractive and academic duscis-sions will be held simultaneous-ly in four different Halls ofVigyan Bhawan. To enlarge theambit of these discussions, hesaid, at least eight Ministers ofthe Union Cabinet will be pres-ent at one or the other sessionand the main session will beaddressed by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi tomorrow. Onthe occasion, Dr Jitendra Singhalso released a book on“Transforming India”.
Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha,Union ARPG Secretary DevendraChoudhary, Union DoPTSecretary Sanjay Kothari, FormerCabinet Secretary Ajit Seth,Senior former and presentSecretaries of Government ofIndia and Chief Secretaries of dif-ferent States attended today’sfunction.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh going around different stalls and dis-plays after formally inaugurating the, first of its kind, exhibition on theme“Transforming India” organized by Department of Administrative Reforms& Public Grievances (ARPG) at Vigyan Bhawan on Wednesday.
MLA Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana speaking during BhartiFoundation’s Quality Support Programme at Jammu onWednesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh
Rana lauds Foundation for gigantic initiativeBharti Foundation to implement Quality
Support Program in 15 Govt schools in NagrotaExcelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: BhartiFoundation, the philanthropicarm of Bharti Enterprises, hassigned a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with theDeputy Commissioner, Jammuand the Chief Education Officer,Jammu to support theGovernment’s initiatives inenhancing the quality of educationin the rural blocks of Nagrota,Dansal and Bhalwal in Jammudistrict.
The Foundation will beginoperations in these blocks and cor-responding Education Zones byextending its successful QualitySupport Program to 15Government Schools, selectedand run by the Directorate ofSchool Education, Jammu inNagrota Assembly constituency.
The Quality Support Programsupports Government Schools toimprove the overall quality ofschooling experience. As part ofthe partnership, Bharti Foundationwill work with the school leader-ship and the Directorate of SchoolEducation, Jammu to jointlyimplement interventions that con-tribute towards enriching the over-all schooling experience.
Additionally, the Foundationwill share best practices and facil-itate capacity building for theteachers and school staff. This pro-gram stands to cover more than3500 students and include 175teachers across the 15 schoolsfalling in 14 Halqa Panchayats ofthe 3 blocks of Nagrota. Currently,
39 Government Schools are bene-fitting from this program acrossthe States of Punjab, Haryana,Rajasthan and Delhi reaching outto 21,620 students and impacting953 teachers.
Devender Singh Rana,Member of the LegislativeAssembly (MLA), Nagrota, said,“Education truly is the first step indeveloping self-esteem for thefuture generation and BhartiFoundation’s initiative in thisregard is a source of inspiration for“Young India”.
Simrandeep Singh, the DeputyCommissioner, Jammu said, “Thelaunch of the Quality SupportModel is a good initiative by theBharti Foundation and we willextend all possible support tomake this initiative a success.”
J. K. Sudan, Chief EducationOfficer, Jammu said, “we willjointly create initiatives to bring inexcellence in education in ourschools and also help our commit-ted teachers on their journeytowards imparting quality educa-tion.”
Speaking on the occasion,Vijay Chadda, CEO, BhartiFoundation said, “We are veryhappy to start our Program in theState of Jammu & Kashmir. Withthis new partnership, we look for-ward to learning and sharing bestpractices and contribute to thegood work being done by theDirectorate of School Education,Jammu.”
Zulfkar, Akhtar inaugurate exhibitionon life & culture of Tribal Communities
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: Ministerfor Consumer Affairs & PublicDistribution, ChowdharyZulfkar Ali and Minister forEducation, Naeem Akhtar todayinaugurated the first evernational painting exhibition onlife and culture of TribalCommunities of Jammu andKashmir at Kalakendra.
The special focusof the 3-day event is onGujjar Communitiesof J&K. The exhibitionhas been organized byTribal Research andCultural Foundation incollaboration withDistrict AdministrationUdhampur.
Naeem Akhtarspeaking on the topicof cultural diversitysaid that God madeus all different andwe need to appreciateand respect the dif-ference and diversity present inmankind and do our part inensuring the preservation of ourcultural heritage.
Stressing on the importanceof education, he said that the realmeaning of education is not inthe number of degrees acquiredbut in knowledge and learning.He said the well read and edu-cated of a community need to beproud and not ashamed of theircultural legacy and worktowards bringing coherencebetween modern technology andtraditional community profes-sions thereby preserving the tra-ditional way of life, yet movingahead towards development.
Appreciating the efforts ofDr Javaid Rahi- renowned tribalresearcher of Gujjar community,Naeem Akhtar stated that theTribal Gujjar Culture is very richin terms of its color and vibran-cy. He said that EducationDepartment has a new initiativecalled ‘Learning through Art’under which, the departmentwill organize various camps for
children in the state coveringarts and traditional crafts. Heasked the artists working in trib-al arts and culture to associatewith the programme.
Minister for ConsumerAffairs & Public Distribution,Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali whileaddressing the gathering pres-ent at the exhibition said that hehas been involved with thefoundation since his tenure as
Tribal Minister. He said he hadthe opportunity to attend thenational painting camp wherehe saw young and buddingartists working with enthusiasmand that dedication is clearlyvisible in the works showcasedhere. He said establishment ofthe tribal museum would great-ly assist in preservation of cul-tural identity of the many tribesof the State.
Requesting all to cometogether and contribute in devel-oping the various communitiesof the State, Zulfkar said that ifany community gets neglectedand is left behind in develop-ment, the picture we will paintof the State would be like apainting left unfinished by the
artist.Dr. Javaid Rahi-renowned
tribal researcher and eventorganizer said that all 26paintings displayed in twomain galleries of Kala Kendraare an outcome of a nationalpainting camp held in Jammuin January this year. He saidthe main objective of thisevent was to attract the artistfraternity of India towards the
vivid tribal and nomadic cul-ture of the state, mainly to getthem nearer to colorful cul-ture of Gujjars, Bakerwals andother tribes.
Deputy CommissionerUdhampur Dr Shahid Iqbal alsovisited the gallery. He said thatthrough this event the nomadiclife and culture of differentSchedule Tribe groups of theState will receive boost.
Artists whose painting are ondisplay are Kulwant Singh Gill, KK Gandhi, R P Singh,AkramKhan, Satpaul Deol, RohitVerma, Rakesh Kumar, SahilOhri, Narinder K Bhagat, AnjliBharti, Munir Chowdhary,Mahva Gupta, Kanchan Verma,Sakhsi Khullar Gupta and others.
Ministers Naeem Akhtar and Ch Zulfkar Ali evincing interest in a paint-ing on Wednesday.
All departments daily wagers staging protest dharna outsideDyCM's residence in Jammu on Wednesday.
—Excelsior/Rakesh
Casual labours, CP workers protest at DyCM's residenceExcelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: Casuallabours, ITI trained and CP work-ers engaged in various depart-ments under need basis in variousGovernment departments, todayheld strong protest demonstrationoutside the residence of DeputyChief Minister Nirmal Singh anddemanded their regularization.
A large number of these tem-porary workers led by their lead-ers Satish Sharma, under the ban-ner of All Departments Jammuand Kashmir WorkersCoordination Committee assem-bled at the residence of Dy ChiefMinister here this morning andstarted their protest demonstrationfollowed by day long dharna. Theagitating daily wagers were pro-jecting their burning issues.
Taking banners and someplacards in hands depicting theirissues, the daily rated, ITI, casualand CP workers were shoutingloud slogans against the StateGovernment. They were also
demanding release of their pend-ing wages and regularization ofover 62,000 temporary workersengaged in various departments.
Satish Sharma, president ofthe body and several other tradeunionists addressed the gatheringand criticized the Governmentfor its indifferent attitude. Theysaid that Government framedseveral committees, sub commit-tees and also gave assurances anumber of times but their issuesremained unresolved. Manyworkers are without wages sincelong and facing starvation buttheir wages have not beenreleased for the last more thantwo years.
They also warned to intensi-fy their agitation in near future ifthe Government failed toaddress their issues. Prominentamong those who addressedgathering included- KulbhushanSingh, Akhil Sharma, DarshanSingh Jamwal, Rakesh Kumar,Puneet Gandotra and RajanSharma.
Secretariat ‘Gherao’ on Apr 22PHE daily wage workers'
strike enters 39th dayExcelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: TheGovernment has remainedunmoved even after the indefi-nite strike of PHE daily rated,ITI trained and CP workersentered 39th consecutive daytoday.
The general public is suffer-ing badly in many areas of theJammu region as the PHE dailyrated workers have gone onindefinite strike. TheGovernment has totally failed toresolve the issue even after thelapse of so much of time. Themost affected are the people liv-ing in rural areas as majority ofthe pumping and water supplystations are operated by thetemporary staff.
The half hearted approach ofthe Minister for PHE, I&FCSham Choudhary to break thedead lock and resolve issue alsoremained unfruitful a weekback. The employees weredemanding release of their fiftypercent wages in first instanceand framing of policy for theirregularization and a written
assurance from the minister.After receiving a cold responseon these demands, the workersunion decided to go ahead withthe strikle programme. Manyworkers are without wages forthe last 35 months.
A large number of workersunder the leadership of TanveerHussain, Union president are sit-ting on protest dharna at PHE com-plex. They held strong protestdemonstration againstGovernment today. They have sus-pended entire work. The depart-ment is facing difficulty to main-tain supply to the public. Even inmany rural areas the people are notgetting water supply after three-four days. The Government hasbecome mute spectator.
Tanveer Hussain and severalother trade unionists alsoaddressed the gathering andalleged that despite assurances bysenior officers their issues haveremained un-resolved. Theydemanded that a policy be framedfor the regularization of all typeof temporary workers. Theyannounced Secretariat `Gherao'programme on April 22.
Shot in J&K, film Mantostaan selected for Cannes Festival
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: Settinganother milestone for Jammu andKashmir, son of the soil, directorRahat Kazmi's film Mantostaan,shot in the State, has been selectedfor Cannes Film Festival before itsrelease.
Film will be screened on 14thof May at Cannes Film Festival.Mantostaan is a dark satire basedon four burning and the most con-troversial short stories (Khol Do,Thanda Ghosht, Assignment andAakhri Salute) of legendary Urduwriter, Saadat Hassan Manto. Thestories are set in 1947 IndiaPakistan partition time, throwing aspotlight on most inhuman side ofhuman beings.
Director of the film disclosedthat choosing stories of SaadatHassan Manto was a challenge forhim, as his works remained mostcontroversial. Kazmi said actorsRaghubir Yadav, Sonal Sehgal,Shoib Nikash Shab, VirendraSaxena, Tariq Khan, RainaBassnet and Sakshi Bhatt are thestar cast of the film. He hoped thatthis tale of partition will touch auniversal chord, beginning atCannes Film Festival.
Rahat said Ufi Production andJKF (Jitesh Kumar Films) fromDelhi, Starclub NGO fromKashmir and Chhatisgarh MudraParishad from Raipur(Chattisgarh) are different organi-zations, which have come forwardand support the cause of making ahistorical film on much deserved
stories of a legend called Manto. Film is produced by Rahat
Kazmi, Tariq Khan and AadityaPratap Singh and Co produced byZeba Sajid and Associate produceris Javid Bandey from Canada.Tariq Khan and Rahat Kazmi duois basically from Jammu andKashmir and major part of the filmwas shot in Jammu and Poonch.Some part of the film was alsoshot in Punjab.
The film will be screened at
the Le Marché du Film category ofthe fest in May, ironically andcoincidently with Manto's birth-day that falls on May 11, the day 1of Cannes. The official screeningof Mantostaan is on May 14 and16.
Tariq Khan said it is for thefirst time in the history of Jammuand Kashmir that a film directed,produced and shot in J&K hasbeen selected for Cannes FilmFestival before its release.
Officials of Blue Star during launch of stylish ACs in Jammu.—Excelsior/Rakesh
Blue Star to open unit at Samba, announces launch of stylish ACs
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: Blue Staris going to open its manufactur-ing unit in Samba and first pref-erence will be given to talentedyouth of Jammu and Kashmir.
This was disclosed by BThiagarajan, Joint ManagingDirector, Blue Star Limited duringa press conference here today. Hewas accompanied by Ajay Vakil,Regional Manager, North, RoomAirconditioners Division, DHRoy, VP, Procurement and SupplyChain and Deepak Gurnani, AreaManager, Room AirconditionersDivision.
B Thiagarajan stated that themarket for room airconditionersis expected to grow by around15 per cent in FY17 and consid-ering our 5-year track record ofoutperforming the market cou-pled with our impressive newenergy-efficient, eco-friendlyand smart product range, wehope to achieve a market shareof 12 per cent in FY17.
He also announced thelaunch of a stylish range of air-conditioners comprising a widearray of highly energy-efficientas well as eco-friendly split air-conditioners for the residentialand commercial segments.
Blue Star’s new line-up ofroom airconditioners consists ofover 135 models. This stellarrange of airconditioners is in
line with the new energy stan-dards prescribed by the Bureauof Energy Efficiency (BEE), hesaid, adding that Blue Star isamongst the first companies tocomply with BEE’s voluntarylabelling programme for invert-er split airconditioners as it haslaunched 16 models in the 5-starcategory and 13 variants in the3-star category, as per the newBEE standards.
He stated that all modelshave been designed to operatenon-stop even at 50 degreeCelsius. The entire range of star-rated inverter split aircondition-ers is equipped to functionsmoothly within a voltage rangeof 160V to 270V, without the aidof an external voltage stabiliser.This is of a huge advantage inlocations with high voltage fluc-tuations. 8 of the 16 models of5-star inverter split aircondition-ers will be equipped with a‘smart’ Wi-Fi feature whichenables the customer to operatethe machine from any remoteplace within the Wi-Fi network,B Thiagarajan maintained.
The Company plans to investover Rs 30 crores on new prod-uct development as well as itsresearch and design initiatives inFY17 in order to continue itsendeavour to develop cus-tomised, modern and sophisti-cated products which can com-pete with the best in the world.
Kargil Advocates seek cancellationof Distt Judge post exams
Excelsior CorrespondentKARGIL, Apr 20: Some practicing advocates and applicants for
the post of District Judges (Direct Recruitment) from Kargil districttoday urged the Registrar General of J&K High Court to cancel theexamination scheduled to be held on April 23 and 24 and issue freshdate in view of closure of Srinagar-Leh National Highway.
In a letter addressed to Registrar General, the applicants, whoare practicing Advocates at Kargil, said that Government hadannounced that Srinagar-Leh National Highway would be openedfor traffic on April 20 as such they had decided to proceed toSrinagar on this date.
Today, when the applicants went to Drass for onward journey toSrinagar the authorities did not allow them keeping in view closure ofthe road due to fresh snowfall. "The tickets from Leh are also notavailable at this time and the Army service from Jammu to Kargil andSrinagar to Kargil has also been suspended by the Air Force for fewdays due to bad weather condition", they further said.
"We have no other means by which we would be able to reachJammu on April 23 for appearing in the examination", they saidand urged the Registrar General of the High Court to cancel theexamination scheduled to be held on April 23 and 24 and announcefresh date.
Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra to be taken out on April 30
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: ShreeJagannath Rath Yatra, will betaken out on April 30 byInternational Society of KrishnaConsciousness (ISKCON). Thiswas announced by NavayogendraSwami Maharaj chairman of LordJagarnath Rath Yatra Committeewhile talking to reporters here
today.He said prior to the rath yatra
a Maha Aarti Utsav of the lordwill be held at City Palace, hereon April 29 from 5 pm onwards.In this festival 56 Bhoga (food-stuffs) will be offered to the Lord.This will be followed by GaurAarti in which there will be anoffering of 108 Aarties to LordJagannath, Baldeva & Subhadra.Thereafter Navayogendra SwamiMaharaj will give a discoursewith Harinaam Sankirtan. Afterthat dinner Prasadam will beserved to devotees.
He said on April 30 Rath Yatrafestival will be celebrated. Theprocession of the Lord will startfrom Red Cross Bhawan (CityPalace) Kacchi Chawni at 12noon and will pass throughParade, Shalamar, Kanak Mandi,Rajinder Bazar, Shahidi Chowk,Raghunath Mandir, IndiraChowk, Gummat, Vinayak Bazar,Canal Road, Talab Tillo, Bohriand will reach Kashmir HillsResort, Patta Borhi, Jammu ataround 8 pm. Dinner Prasadam
will be served to everyone there-after.
Swami Ji said that the pullingof Rath (Cart) during the Rathyatra procession by the devoteessymbolizes the attempt of the res-idents of Vrindavan to bringKrishna, Balarama and Subdharaback to Vrindavan fromKurukshetra. Therefore pullingthe rope of the Chariot also signi-
fies trying tobring Krishna(the supremeLord) back to ourheart, he added.
TraditionallyRath Yatra wasoriginated fromJagannath Puri ,Orissa, thousandsof years ago andby the mercy ofHis Divine GraceA . C .BhaktivedantaS w a m iP r a b h u p a d a
(Founder Acharya of InternationalSociety for KrishnaConsciousness) is being celebrat-ed in more than 100 cities of theworld including Dublin, Belfast,Mexico, Singapore, New Yorketc, in which millions of peoplefrom all religions participate inthe spirit of love for God. HisHoliness explained that LordJagannath is not different fromLord Krishna, Baladev his elderbrother; Balaram while SubhadraDevi is their younger sister.
Sarvabhaum BhattacharyaDas, Temple president ISKCONJammu, Vikram Malhotra: presi-dent Shree Jagannath Rath YatraCommittee, Jai Keshav Das:organizing president ShreeJagannath Rath Yatra Committee,Kuldeep Raj Dubey: presidentSwagat Committee, PramodKapahi: senior. vice presidentSwagat Committee, Rajan Bhan :general secretary, Shree JagannathRath Yatra Committee and all theexalted devotees of LordJagannath were present on thisgrand occasion.
Chairman ISKCON Rath Yatra CommitteeNavajogendra Swami Maharaj addressing apress conference at Jammu on Wednesday.
—Excelsior/Rakesh
PSA slapped on hardcore criminalExcelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: A hardcore criminal involved in over halfdozen cases registered with different police stations has beendetained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
As per police sources, a notorious criminal identified asTajinder Singh alias Jinda, son of Darshan Singh, a resident ofWard Number 4, Simbal Camp, Miran Sahib has been detainedunder stringent PSA by District Magistrate (DM) JammuSimranjeet Singh.
The accused was involved in over half dozen criminalcases registered with different police stations including MiranSahib.
After slapping of PSA, he has been lodged in jail.The notorious criminal was arrested by a team led by SHO
Miran Sahib police station SI Hilal Azhar under the supervision ofSDPO RS Pura Harjeet Singh and SP Headquarters Jammu RCKotwal.
Martyr Tushar remembered on 27th birth anniversary
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Apr 20: Toremember the supreme sacrificemade by Captain Tushar Mahajanof the Army's 9 Para Special Forces,
who laid down his life while fight-ing with terrorists at Pampore areaof Kashmir in February this year,Little Flower Convent SchoolUdhampur and newly createdTushar Fan Club paid rich tribute tothe martyr on his 27 birth anniver-sary today.
In this connection, a functionwas organized at Little FlowerConvent School wherein local
MLA Pawan Gupta was the chiefguest. The MLA honoured parentsof Tushar Mahajan and said that thenation cannot forget supreme sacri-fice of the martyr.
Shewatketu Singh, a friend ofthe martyr andmember of theTushar Fan ClubUdhampur, reit-erated thedemand of nam-ing UdhampurRailway Stationafter the name ofCapt TusharMahajan. Hesaid that theyhave alreadysent a memoran-dum in thisregard to the
Defence Minister and RailwayMinister. Fulfillment of the saiddemand would be one of the befit-ting tributes to the national hero andmartyr who laid down his life at avery young age, he added.
On the occasion, an athleticmeet was also held in which stu-dents took part. The martyr was analumni of the Little FlowerConvent School.
MLA Pawan Gupta honouring mother ofmartyr Tushar Mahajan at Udhampur onWednesday.
