Army celebrate 65th Kargil liberation anniversary
Kargil: Army on Saturday celebrate 65th anniversary of liberation of Kargil here, organising a number of events to mark the occasion. The day started with wreath-laying ceremony at ‘ Kargil War Memorial’, senior civilian and Army officers and others paid homage to martyrs of 1947-48. Chief Executive Councilor (CEO), of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Asgar Ali Karbalai, along with other civilian dignitaries laid wreaths to pay homage to the martyrs of the 1947-48 operations. The Kargil again hit headlines across the globe when Pakistani intruders occupied almost all heights near the Line of Control (LoC) in the sector in 1999. However, it took several months to push back the intruders and reoccoupy the heights, which are strategically important for Ladakh region. This was followed by a Special Sainik Sammelan in which the senior Army and civil officials addressed the troops. (UNI)
Youth arrested for stealing AK-47 from cop’s quarter
Jammu: A youth has been arrested for allegedly stealing arms and ammunition from the residential quarter of a police constable in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Talib Hussain was arrested on Friday for stealing an AK-47 rifle, one magazine and 30 rounds from the residential quarter of police constable Rajinder Singh in Kathua district on the intervening night of November 20 and 21, a police officer said. Police have also recovered the stolen arms and ammunition from a drain near Lakhanpur. Further interrogation of the accused is on to ascertain his links, he said. Meanwhile, the constable has been suspended for dereliction of duty, the police officer said. (PTI)
Govt sets deadline for removal
of debris in Odisha
Berhampur (Odisha): The government has set December 10 as deadline for removal of debris from the cyclone-ravaged villages of Ganjam district in Odisha. The district administration has asked block development officers (BDO) to execute the work by engaging labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGREGS). “We have submitted the guidelines for execution of the work and asked BDOs to follow the guidelines of labour engagement for the purpose. The work should be completed by December 10,” said project director, District Rural Development Agency, (DRDA) Prem Chandra Choudhury. The district administration has also asked the BDOs to ensure disposal of the debris away from the villages, sources said. (PTI)
Bangladeshi held along IB in Jammu
Jammu: A Bangladeshi national has been arrested along the International Border (IB) by BSF troops in Jammu district of the state. During questioning, he identified himself as Koser from Bangladesh, they said. Koser was arrested yesterday after BSF troops noticed some suspicious movement along IB in Karotna Khurd area of R S Pura belt of Jammu district, police said here today. He was later handed over to the police for further interrogation, they said. (PTI)
Mobile phones providing health services in Bihar
New Delhi: The simple mobile phone is being used to provide a range of health services in some districts of Bihar, especially in maternal and child care, an expert said here on Saturday. The “Ananya” programme, run by BBC Media Action in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in eight districts of Bihar, aims to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health in the state. The programme is targeting an audience of 27 million women of child-bearing age through 200,000 community health workers. These health workers are responsible for counselling millions of families to take advantage of government health services and adopt healthier behaviour. “The real innovations are that these services can have a significant impact on people’s lives at an unprecedented scale, and the public-private partnership model that makes them affordable and sustainable,” said Sara Chamberlain of BBC Media Action, India. All health workers either own or have access to a mobile phone, according to research by BBC Media Action. A “Mobile Academy” training course has been developed to expand and refresh the health workers’ knowledge of 10 life-saving health behaviour and enhance their communication skills. (IANS)