Yoga to curb paramilitary voluntary retirements
NEW DELHI: Yoga classes for better stress management. This is one of the measures introduced by the government to check voluntary retirement from paramilitary forces.Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh also told the Lok Sabha that a transparent leave policy had been implemented and grievances redressal machinery had been revamped.According to the minister, 6,897 voluntary retirements took place in 2008 from six paramilitary forces: Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Sena Bal (SSB).The number rose to 13,033 in 2009 and slid to 10,982 in 2010. The figure stood at 5,274 till the end of July this year.The maximum retirements took place in BSF, followed by CRPF and Assam Rifles.The minister said the government had also ordered regular interaction, both formal and informal, among commanders, officers and troops of these paramilitary forces.(IANS)
Delhi ready with 15,000 flats for poor
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has completed the construction of 15,000 flats for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers. The allotment of 7,000 flats will start in October, it was announced Monday.Urban Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said Monday in the legislative assembly: “Apart from that, government is also mulling to pay the share of Rs.60,000 for the eligible SC/ST slum dwellers for flats and a proposal regarding this is under consideration.”He said that the urban development department organised a special camp from April to check the documents needed for owning a flat of the residents of 33 slum clusters.(IANS)
Education and health to be made conflict neutral: Omar
SRINAGAR: Condemning the obstruction of students’ education in the Kashmir Valley during last year’s summer unrest, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reiterated his government’s resolve to make education and health sectors neutral to conflict. “Losses on development fronts can be retrieved but the gaps occurring in education remain unfilled forever. It is the duty of all of us to keep education away from all conflicts, disturbances and politics to safeguard the future of the state,” Omar said at a function here yesterday. He said students should receive education in conducive and peaceful environments so that they seek knowledge and attain excellence without any hindrance. The Chief Minister said the losses in studies of the students last year due to the law and order situation has given severe jolt to their education which cannot be repaired. “Same is the case of a patient who could not get the treatment for his ailment due to disturbances and suffered irreversible loss on health count,” he added. Describing the teaching fraternity as architects of the future, Omar said the development of high quality human resource is in the hands of teachers. “It is up to you to groom the younger generation and give the state capable, educated and responsible human force to lead in all spheres of life with confidence and ability,” he said, addressing teachers. (PTI)