2 artificial dams coming up in Kathua

Two artificial dams are being constructed at Dabbi and Phangeri in Kathua district to create ground water recharging facilities to the fields, drinking facilities to nomads and their livestock besides wildlife habitation, costing Rs. 39 lakh.

This was stated by the Minister for Forest and Environment, Mian Altaf Ahmad while taking stock of the progress of the projects taken under forest sector in the Kathua district today. 

The Minister exhorted upon the officers to start work on new projects approved under CAMPA and ensure 100 per cent utilization of funds provided for the projects. He asked them to come up with detailed reports of big projects so that more people are benefitted. 

The Minister urged upon district administration to get fenced the land available in the towns so that it could be saved from encroachment. He also directed officers to complete all projects under execution as per fixed schedule. 

The Minister underlined need for proper and regular monitoring of the projects coming up in the district under forest sector and directed them that these projects should be completed within stipulated time frame. 

While reviewing the functioning of Pollution Control Board(PCB), the Minister said the Kathua is the gateway of the Jammu and Kashmir and asked the concerned officers to ensure implementation of the laws enacted for checking the pollution control in the state. 

The Minister also inspected Forest Nursery Sagwan in Samba district. He was informed that 25000 teak wood plants, imported from Madhya Pradesh and Utrakand, have been raised on experimental basis and subsequently for distribution among the farmers on concession rates. He was told that 50000 plants of different species have been raised at forest nursery Hari- Chak.

It was given out that 344 hectares of land has been treated by soil conservation department besides planting 3.14 lakh plant saplings costing Rs. 1.02 crore. Apart from this, the department also fenced 1.12 rft forest land and distributed 1.06 lakh plants among the farmers, it was told. 

The meeting was informed that 1.19 lakh plants have been planted by DFO, Kathua, apart from raising 1.30 lakh plants raised for next season in three nurseries of the department. An area of 243 hectares have been brought under plantation, it was added.

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DDC holds public meeting at Amala

District Development Commissioner Kathua, Zahida Parveen Khan today convened public meeting at village Amala  of Tehsil Hirangar.

Zahida took stock of the problems and demands projected by the representatives of the area.Panchs, Sarpanchs of Amala, Dhaloti, Nadoli and other adjoining Panchayats putforth their demands and grievances. The demands projected were, scarcity of drinking water, up gradation of middle school Amala, blacktopping of Circular Road, pensions for old age, widows and handicaps of the area. They also apprised about pending crop compensation cases, crossing at national highway, 100 KV transformer, and provision for animal husbandry dispensaery.

Responding to the demands DDC assured that the problems will be redressed in time frame manner. She assured that the up gradation of the middle school will be done on priority basis. She passed instruction to the AEE PWD to take up the blacktopping of circular road within time. She also directed AEE PHE to make all needful to ensure uninterrupted water supply to all seven villages under Amala and Dhaloti Panchayats.

Khan also passed on spot instructions to Social Welfare Officer to process the identified pension cases of the area, further directed to open cutting and tailoring centre for the Amala Panchayat from April this year.Responding to slow pace of works under NEREGA, DDC Kathua directed BDO Barnoti to ensure for timely completion of the same. Tehsildar Hiranagar to expedite the disbursement of pending crop compensation.

She also impressed upon the officers to conduct awareness camps in far off areas of the district to meet the object of the various tailor made schemes.

Later, the DDC also distributed six cheques amount to Rs.10,000 each among the beneficiaries under National Family Benefit Scheme.

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Jammu kashmir Generates Rs 7506 cr income by fruit production

The State has generated an income of Rs. 7506 crore by fruit production and its dispatches during last two years, revealed Minister for Horticulture and Floriculture, Sham Lal Sharma today in Legislative Assembly.

Replying to a question by Abdul Rehman Veeri in the House, the Minister said that keeping in view that horticulture is the mainstay of state’s economy, the government is paying focused attention on its development by long and short term measures.

The Minister said that post harvest management infrastructure has been strengthened in the State. He said terminal markets at Parimpora, Narwal and Sopore have been established, adding that 08 satellite markets have been made functional. He said to provide the platform to the growers of Jammu division for marketing their produces the work on development of Fruit Vegetable Mandis at Bishnah, Kathua, Batore, Akhnoor and Rajouri is in advance stage and would be made functional during next fiscal. Moreover, the department is also organizing weekly kissan markets in various localities of the twin cities for growers to sell their produce to the consumers at reasonable rates.

Sham said that government contemplates to establish terminal market at Bijbehara in South Kashmir. He said in this regard 440 kanals of land at Jablipora has been transferred to planning and marketing department adding that after completing all codal formalities the work on the project would be started.

Responding to the supplementaries by Ch. Ramzan, Syed Bashir, Abdul Gaffar Sofi, M. Y. Tarigami and Basharat Bukhari, the Minister assured that government is taking all necessary steps to promote horticulture in the state. He said linking production with marketing channels to achieve dividends. He said government is also working for covering growers under crop insurance scheme.

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Government Degree College organizes Alumni Meet

Government Degree College, Kathua today organised Alumni Meet here.

About 250 alumni along with their families took part in the function which commenced with the lighting of lamp followed by welcome address by principal, Dr Nater Singh.

He gave details of the achievements of the college. The election of office bearers of Alumni Association was also held wherein Member of Parliament, Choudhary Lal Singh was elected as chief patron.

MoS Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, MLA Charanjeet Singh, ex-MoS Babu Singh, ex-MLA, Dhian Chand and Mukund Lal Sharma were elected as patrons.

Prof Dhian Singh was elected as its president. Dr Nater Singh, Rajeshwar Singh, Sardar Khan, Pankaj Sharma and Dr Archana Bhagat were elected as vice-president, general secretary, organising secretary, treasurer and secretary respectively.

Dr Hardev Gupta, SSP, J L Sharma, Suman Sharma, Rajinder Sharma, Dr Kewal and Dr Anirudh Rai were elected as executive members.

Speaking on the occasion, MP Choudhary Lal Singh lauded the efforts of the college for organising the meet.

He added that he will be actively engaged in providing opportunities for the students and faculty of the college.

Earlier, the alumni were welcomed with a gurad of honour by the NCC cadets.

Students of the kathua college also presented colourful cultural items. Prof Neelam Thapa conducted the proceedings of the programme while Dr N K Gupta presented the vote of thanks.

Vintage tank recovered from Ravi river

Vintage tank belonged to British forces recovered from Ravi river

An unclaimed old and rusted war-tank was recovered from river Ravi near Lakhanpur in district Kathua today.

The tank, over 95% buried under the debris at the right bank of river Ravi near Golden Gates in Lakhanpur area, was detected by a village boy, who happened to pass that side. He informed the matter to local junk dealer telling that huge piece of iron was lying at the river side. When two-three persons were engaged in removing the iron piece from debris, they came to know that it was not merely piece but a huge war tank. They ran away in panic sensing trouble and informed the matter to local police at Lakhanpur late last evening.

The matter then came to the notice of SSP Kathua J L Sharma and Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Zahida Khan. They contacted Army authorities. Officials from various intelligence agencies also reached the spot. It was earlier, indicated that it could be Pakistani tank, may be abandoned during 1965 or 71 war or washed away in flood and then buried under the debris.

The Army officers from Mamoon Cantt and also from local Kathua unit rushed to the area and cordoned it. The Army experts were also called. They started digging operation using machines and man power under the supervision of GOC Rising Star Corps Lt Gen A K Choudhary and Brig J K Sharma Commander 21 Sub Area and managed to extricate the rusted and old ‘unclaimed tank’, abandoned at the river bank at around 9 am. It was hurriedly lifted with cranes, placed on a ‘large tralla’ and taken to Mamoon Military Station. A large number of local villagers had gathered at a distance to watch the operation but they were restricted by Armymen and police deployed there to go closer to the site.

SSP Kathua, J L Sharma, said that police also coordinated the operation and had directed the concerned SHO last evening not to allow any civilian movement closer to the tank side and also deployed some cops there. He said the villagers earlier informed Police Station Lakhanpur and the party was sent to examine the site. After conformation the matter was taken up with the Basohli Morh located Brigade headquarters in Kathua.

A Defence spokesman from 9 Corps of the Western Army Command claimed that due to rust and being so old, the chasis number could not be traced. He refused to own that this tank belonged to Indian Army. He also refuted the villagers/ public claim that tank belonged to Pakistan. He, however, said the tank which was apparently looking like a huge iron structure without any colour, emblem, insignia and broken canon was found to be Vintage tank.

It was believed by the Defence experts that this tank was of Vintage series of the British Army, probably used in between 1938 and 1946 in operations/ wars in the un-divided India in Punjab area and might have gone washed away and thus missing. However, more facts are being ascertained about this mystery.