LoC villages to be covered by postal services

For the first time since 1947, department of posts has decided to cover areas along LoC in Kashmir valley for its services. Till now, such services were uavailable to the people living there putting them to inconvenience.

 Revealing this at a press conference here, chief post master John Samuel said in this financial year areas near LoC and other far flung areas would be connected with the postal services. The chief post master said  the initiative will help the people in these areas as no banking and other saving facilities is yet to be available to people.

 John Samuel also said that it will increase the share of saving in the posts office. He also said that there has been 21 percent growth in post office savings bank business as compared to the last financial year.

 He said, “This is an indication that department of posts is on its path to recovery.  I  thank the people of J&K for their overwhelming support to the postal services.  Department has also set a target of 25 percent growth during the current financial year.”

 The chief post master said that the department of posts has revised the interest rates of various savings bank schemes with immediate effect.  He said with this revision, the schemes under post office savings bank have become very attractive to the people and a large number of people are coming to the post office to open new accounts.

 Samuel said that department of posts with network of 15,000 post offices is the largest retail Bank in India.  Considering its trust and network, the people are investing in various schemes of post offices

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 From the current financial year, interest from post office Savings Bank Account upto Rs.10000 has been exempted from Income Tax.  This is a major benefit to the Post Office customers.  Taking into this account, the Post Office Savings Bank Schemes have become attractive to the common man.

 With computerization, the payment of interest to the customers has been made very easy.  Samuel informed that the interest for 2011-12 has already been credited to the Accounts of all the customers by 1st April, 2012.  This makes the Post Office savings account very convenient to the people.

 He said the senior Citizen Saving’s scheme has become the most attractive scheme offered by the Post Office.  It gives an interest rate of 9.3 percent per annum. “Citizen can invest upto Rs.15 lacs for a period of 5 years and the interest under this scheme is also eligible for tax concession under Section 80C of Income Tax Act.   Samuel said that people of 60 years and above are eligible to open the account under Senior Citizen Scheme.  Maturity period is five years.  Premature closure is allowed after one year.  A depositor may operate more than one account in individual capacity or jointly with spouse.  Account can be transferred from one post office to another.  Any number of accounts can be opened in any post office subject to maximum investment limit of Rs. 15 lakhs,” he said.

 He also said that another attractive scheme is Public Provident Fund scheme which offers interest of 8.8 percent  Deposits qualify for deduction from income under Sec. 80C of IT Act.  The main attraction is that the interest is completely tax-free.  Withdrawal is permissible every year from 7th financial year and the Loan facility is available from 3rd financial year. In addition, the Department has also various attractive schemes like Time Deposit, Recurring Deposit, Amount Fixed Deposit and Savings Bank Account to cater to the needs of various customers.

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MES for LoC under consideration

Stating that number of steps have been taken to ease the travel and trade across the Line of Control (LoC), Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today said that introduction of Multiple Entry System was under consideration.

In a written reply to the question of PDP MLA, Abdul Rehman Veeri, the Chief Minister said, "though the present system is operating effectively yet a number of steps have been taken to ease the travel and trade across the LoC".

"The introduction of triple entry permit system for senior citizens and introduction of multiple entry system is under consideration". However, the number of trade days have already been increased from two to four", he added.

He informed the House that 4365 persons including 1161 Indian nationals and 3204 PoK nationals traveled across LoC via Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote crossing points during the last two years.

A total of 23,335 applications were received from Indian nationals up to December 31, 2011. Of these, 17630 were cleared while as 5141 were not recommended and remaining 564 cases are under process, the Chief Minister said.

Similarly, 24,891 applications from PoK Nationals were received up to December 31, 2011, he said, adding of these, 19,847 applications have been cleared while 3175 were not recommended and remaining 1869 cases are under process.

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Trade worth 2.13 cr on LoC

Goods worth over ` 2.13 crores were traded at Chakkan-da-Bagh at LoC point in district Poonch today.

An official spokesman said that goods like onion, bananas, herbs, `Petha', `Dhania', etc., loaded in 25 trucks, were sent to other side of the LoC today. The value of these goods was put at around ` 90.59 lakh. Only eight trucks loaded with dry dates, almonds, herbs, embroidery items, Peshawari sandals and `kinoos' came from the PoK side and the value of goods was ` 1.23 crore.

The LoC point was opened between 12.30 to 1.30 pm and then between 4.30 to 5 pm. TFO Hajeera Aslan Ahmed from PoK side and TFO Vivek Ravel from this side were deployed to facilitate the trade.

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Snowfall blocks most of infiltration routes on LoC

With snowfall bringing lots of miseries to the resident across Kashmir valley, it has also blocked most of infiltration routes on Line of Control (LoC).However, the army says that they are ready to face any eventuality and guard has not been lowered.General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps Lt Gen S A Hasnain has time and again said that there are apprehensions of infiltration any time as a vacuum has got created due to killing many a militants and their top militant leadership during the 2011 in valley.Army last year was apprehending infiltration from those routes which traditionally receive less snowfall.

 That included Uri sector in north Kashmir district of Baramulla, that SECTOR receives less snowfall than passes in Kupwara, Machil,Gurez and other sectors. “Snow has closed some of the routes,”Public Relations Officer ministry of defence Lt Col JS Barar told News Agency. “The alert troops are ready to meet an eventuality,” he added. However, the senior army officers supervising the LoC in Kupwara and Baramulla said there is beefed up vigil despiteclosing of infiltration routes. Major General Bipin Rawat, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Baramulla based 19 Infantry Davison who looks after LoC in Uri and Nowgam Sectors besides hinter land said that snow has blocked some of the routes in Uri Sector and Nowgam Sector. “Yes some of the routes have got closed due to snowfall, but the guard will not be lowered,” he said and added that now It is very difficult to infiltrate. “Walking on the snow takes more time and when there is heavy snow it is also easy to detect trail of any one on the snow.”Army sources in Kupwara based 28 Infantry Division too said that most of the infiltration routes have got closed due to snowfall however there is need of extra vigil on loC.Here it needs a mention that Corps commander Lt Gen Hasnain during an Awami Mulaqat at Uri had told the reporters that army will not lower their guard even when the infiltration routes are closed due to heavy s

Traders meet in Poonch

For the first time after suspension of trade for four months, traders of both sides of divided Jammu and Kashmir today settled their accounts and urged governments of the two countries to increase the trading days as well as the number of goods, during the traders meet organised by the authorities here at Rahe Milan, Chakkan-Da-Bagh.

The traders from Pakistan administered Kashmir, however, initially decided to suspend the meet as the three most prominent defaulting traders were not present there but later with mutual understanding the meeting was carried out peacefully. PAK traders have submitted a list of 31 defaulter traders to Indian authorities while Indian traders submitted a list of 17 defaulter traders to PAK authorities and it was unanimously decided to bring all of them in this traders meet so that their accounts were settled and they get their due payment from the defaulter traders.

105 traders of J&K and PAK today converged on Chakkan-Da-Bagh and debated various issues connected with growth and strengthening of LoC trade in the backdrop of Indo-Pak foreign ministerial level talks.

The traders on the two sides also exchanged the list of the defaulting traders who had failed to clear their dues, they said.

Indian traders demanded enhancement in the number of trucks, giving list of disputed parties, trader to trader trade and five days permits for the traders to survey the markets of other country. Traders also demanded Indo-PAK governments intervention in boosting cross LoC trade as according to them there is no profitable item being imported or exported.

Traders Pawan Anand, Krishan Singh, Amin Magrey, Rajinder Vaid welcomed the decision of both the governments for enhancing the number of days from two to four. They, however, regretted that their was no benefit for enhancing number of days as there was a list of 21 items for cross LoC trade which was decided to be enhanced but instead of enhancing these, authorities have banned some profitable items on the excuse of their packing. They urged upon both the governments to solve the problems of traders of both sides as they are running this trade just to improve relations with each other and not to earn profits. They also demanded traders list of PAK traders from PAK as the authorities did not provide the same to them.

The traders of both the sides expressed their satisfaction over the outcome of the talks and urged governments of India and Pakistan to increase the number of trading days and also increase the number of the trade items of the LoC trade.

The meeting was organised under the supervision of Abdul Hamid Custodian Cross LoC Trade and Kuldeep Raj TFO Poonch while  Mirza Arshad Jaral ADC Tetrinote  supervised traders meet from PAK side in the traders meet.

A total of 105 traders including 49 from Indian side and 56 traders from PAK side participated in the traders meet.

Official reports said that more than three traders settled their accounts which were pending from last more than one year.

Pak trader Choudary Mufti Basarat, Mohammad Hafiz, Mohammad Akbar, Zardar Abbassi, Mohammad Raza told KTNS  there was need of trader to trader trade so that the middle man are shunt out from this Cross LoC trade. They alleged that some Indian traders have blocked their payments and they requested Indian authorities to provide their money to them so that they will further carry on this trade.

“We have brought a ten point formula for smooth functioning of this trade which must be supported by Indian counterparts,” they said, extending support to their Indian counterparts on the issue of providing traders permits by the authorities of both sides.

After the meeting Abdul Hamid Custodian Cross LoC Trade told KTNS that today he have got a list of 8 defaulter traders from PAK and he will ask them to attend the next traders meet. To a question of three main defaulters, he said that legal action will be taken against them.

The meeting started at 12.55 PM and culminated at 4.45 PM.