Published from Srinagar | Jammu Regd. No. JKNP-5/SKGPO-2015-2017 Vol: 30 No. 362 Pages: 20 (16+4 Pull out) Rs. 5.00 epaper.GreaterKashmir.comGreaterKashmir.com, GreaterKashmir.net, GreaterKashmir.news

See Panchayat...on Pg-10

See Army Chief...on Pg-10

See India-Pak...on Pg-10 See GoI may allow...on Pg-10

See ULB polls...on Pg-10

LL2017

TOTALRECA

SUNDAY, December 31, 2017 12, Rabi-ul-Thani, 1439 30th Year of publication

FROM RISE AND FALL OF MILITANCY TO STUDENT REVOLT, FROM SCARE CAUSED BY MYSTERIOUS BRAID CHOPPERS TO INTERLOCUTOR’S APPOINTMENT, WE RETELL THE IMPORTANT STORIES OF THE YEAR IN A 4-PAGE PULLOUT IN TODAY'S EDITION

ULB polls after Panchayat elections: CM

Dy CM chairs Coalition Coordination meetJammu, Dec 30: The coordination committee of the PDP and BJP coalition partners met here today under the chair-manship of Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh. The meeting discussed various issues related to the functioning of the state government besides major achievements and agendas of the present regime.

India-Pak have no option other than to talk on Kashmir: Prof Bhat

Srinagar, Dec 30: Muslim Conference president Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat today said there was no alternative

2017 as gruesome as 2016: Hurriyat report on human rights‘Killings, curbs on people continued

Govt closed Jamia Masjid on 18 Fridays’

World Bank approves `5000 cr projects in J&KGovernment sets ball rolling for utilization of funds

Urs of Dastageer Sahib (RA) observed with religious fervor

MUDASIR YAQOOB

Srinagar, Dec 30: The annual Urs of revered saint Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA) was observed with reli-gious fervor on Saturday here.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA), who is popularly known as Dastageer Sahib (RA), is an 11th century saint whose anniversary is observed on the 11th day of Rabi Al Thani - the fourth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar.

The biggest congregation was held at Khanyar shrine in Downtown where thousands of people paid obeisance

GK NEWS NETWORK

Jammu, Dec 30: Chief Minis-ter Mehbooba Mufti today said her government is commit-ted to empowerment of grass-roots level institutions and the proposed elections to the

Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies is a major step in this direction. The Chief Minister said the Panchayat polls will be followed by elections to the Urban Local Bodies.

“The Government made a commitment on the floor of the House in June 2016 that the elections to the rural and urban local bodies would be held at the earliest to ensure full empowerment of these institutions,” the Chief Min-ister said while talking to various public delegations here today.

The Chief Minister sought larger participation of the people in the Panchayat elec-tions scheduled to be held in

Army Chief in Jammu

YOGESH SAGOTRA

Jammu, Dec 30: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today asked the troops to remain vigilant and ‘ever ready’ for dealing with any situation.

MUKEET AKMALI

Srinagar, Dec 30: In a significant development, World Bank has approved Rs 5000 crore for 222 projects including construction of schools, roads and bridges in Jammu and Kashmir.

A senior government official informed Greater Kashmir that 222 projects at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore have been approved under World Bank project. Out of the approved projects, 53 schools, 9 roads and 8 bridges will be constructed by the Public Works Department.

“Similarly 17 bridges and 4 roads will be constructed by the Jammu and Kash-mir Projects Construction Corporation in the state,” he said adding, “Similar development projects will be taken in other parts of the state under this project.”

The World Bank provides

financing and services to low and middle-income countries to support devel-opment and change. Devel-opment projects are imple-mented by borrowing coun-tries following certain rules and procedures to guaran-tee that the money reaches its intended target.

In order to set the ball rolling for utilization of

the money, divisional commissioner Kash-mir Baseer Khan recently called a meeting in which

deputy commission-ers, director school

education, chief education officers of Kashmir region were asked to furnish req-uisite revenue documents/need assessment certifi-cates/ non-encumbrance certificate, NOCs, etc. with-out further loss of time so that the projects are started.

“Chief education officers concerned will furnish the

GoI may allow Ayurveda docs to practice AllopathyNew Delhi, Dec 30: Doctors pursuing Indian systems of medicine including ayurveda and homeopathy may be allowed to practice allopathy after clearing a bridge course, according to a bill introduced in the Lok Sabha.

ABID BASHIR

Srinagar, Dec 30: The annual report of Hurri-yat Conference (M) on the human rights situation in Kashmir has painted a grim picture of the overall scenar-io with figures suggesting that nothing has changed on ground and instead the graph of killings has shown an upward trend in year 2017.

The report has termed the attack on Amarnath pil-grims and lynching of a policeman outside Jamia Masjid as gruesome and has asserted that fre-quent lockdown of the central masjid this year deserves all condemnation.

The report prepared by the human rights division of the Hurriyat Conference (M), released on Saturday here, says that the year saw 391 deaths in total of which 97 were civilians, 81 forces

personnel and 212 militants.“As compared to 2016,

which witnessed 389 kill-ings, the graph of killings during this year showed slight upward trend,” the report reads.

It stated that in 2017, the killings, incidents of vio-lence, border firings and curbs on the public move-

ment was witnessed throughout the

year. “Imposition of curfew, restric-tions on peoples’ movement, freezing

internet services, dis-allowing protests, killing

and injuries of people, use of lethal weapons as crowd control measure remained unchanged,” it reads. “As the wounds of 2016 were still fresh, Kashmir suffered in 2017 as well.”

The report also talks about the three civilian killings in eight days of December 2017 -two lactat-

See World Bank...on Pg-10

Governor orders fire safety audit of public buildings

GK NEWS NETWORK

Jammu, Dec 30: Alarmed by Friday's devastating fire inci-dent in Mumbai, Jammu and Kash-mir Governor N.N. Vohra on Saturday directed the state

government to ensure fire safety audit of public places including hos-pitals, malls and shopping centres.

A statement issued by the Raj Bhavan in the winter capital said: "Consequent to yesterday's fire inci-dent in Mumbai which resulted in the loss of 14 precious lives and prop-erty, Governor N.N. Vohra has asked

B.B. Vyas, chief secretary, to issue immediate instructions to all deputy commissioners in the state to have an immediate fire safety audit con-ducted, particularly in regard to hos-pitals, shopping centres, malls, etc., and seal all premises which have the risk of catching fire, collapsing etc."

The Governor’s action comes in the wake of the death of 14 people, including the woman who was celebrating her birthday, in a fire that broke out during a birthday party in the Trade House Build-ing in Mumbai early Friday. In the absence of clear signage, the people were unable to exit as the lifts stopped functioning. Most of

Kashmir has been witnessing fire incidents in places of immense public importance, especially heritage shrines which are more vulnerable to

blaze given their wooden structures.

Panchayat poll notification on Jan 12

UMER MAQBOOL

Srinagar, Dec 30: The J&K Gov-ernment would begin the pro-cess of holding Panchayat elec-tion by issuing a formal notifica-tion on January 12, which would be followed by announcement of dates for the election by the Chief Electoral Officer, who has been empowered to conduct the polls.

A source told Greater Kash-mir that the government would issue notification for electing 35096 panchs in the State on January 12. “It has been decided that government would make a

See Dy CM chairs...on Pg-10

See Urs of Dastageer...on Pg-10

See 2017 as...on Pg-10

HC allows 429 ‘ousted’ candidates to sit in KAS Mains'A mess appears to have been created in the conduct of the examination by Public Service Commission'

D A RASHID

Srinagar, Dec 30: The High Court on Saturday directed the State Public Service Com-mission to permit 429 candi-dates who the Commission had debarred from appearing in the KAS mains exam 2016 after revising the answer key of the preliminary test.

“The candidates figuring in the first list issued by the Com-mission vide notification No. PSC/Exam/2017/22 dated 23rd of April, 2017, as also the can-didates figuring in the revised list issued vide notification No. PSC/Exam/2017/44 dated 9th of August, 2017, shall be

entitled and allowed to sit and participate in the main exami-nation,” a bench of Justice M K Hanjura said in a judgment.

The court said the can-didates be permitted to apply on line for the vacancies within the time to be fixed by the Commission.

Pointing out that a mess appears to have been created in the conduct of the examina-tion by the Commission and public interest has been put at jeopardy, the court said the PSC is the premier recruit-ing agency of the State and it cannot tamper with the career

of thousands of aspirants who burn mid night oil for making a livelihood”.

The court held that the PSC has an onerous responsibility

to exert and exercise the highest degree of care

and caution in han-dling the examina-tions and to maintain transparency so that

the candidates repose trust and confidence in

the institution.“It is not understood why

Rule 12(B) was deleted when it was certainly in the public interest. If the OMR sheets and Answer Keys are disclosed

COURT WATCH

See HC allows...on Pg-10

See Governor orders...on Pg-10

CMYK