Jammu Apr 20 PTI Asserting that the mercury may rise up to 47 degrees Celsius here this summer Jammu Municipal Corporation Commissioner Avny Lavasa on Wednesday appealed to the people to keep water bowls for stray animals to help them beat the heat Lavasa said the scorching heat is not only taking a toll on humans but also affecting stray animals cattle and birds Every year a number of animals and birds die of heat stroke and one major reason behind their untimely death is lack of access to drinking water she said We can save these animals and birds from the plight of summer months by putting a bowl of water outside our homes at prominent places and offices the JMC commissioner said Lavasa further pointed out that lack of water induces aggressive behaviour in animals and putting water bowls outside homes and offices can keep them in check She appealed to the people to let humanity prevail in these tough times by caring for these voiceless creatures The winter capital Jammu recorded the seasons hottest day on April 11 at 396 degrees Celsius which was 75 notches above normal PTI AB NB CK CK

Jammu Dec 20 PTI Asserting that generations of Jammu and Kashmir have spent their life dreaming about uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the administration will not allow the system to work as per whims and fancies of some peopleThe union territory faces a major power crisis as a strike called by power development department PDD employees against a proposed merger of PDD with the Power Grid Corporation of India PGI entered its third dayIf some people think that the system will work as per their whims and fancies it cannot be allowed The system will work for 125 crore citizens without any discrimination Sinha said at function hereThe L-G said he wanted convey the message to citizens of Jammu and Kashmir that he understands their pain caused by the disruption in electricity supply due to the strike The well-being of each and every citizen is our top priority he addedMany generations of Jammu and Kashmir have spent their life dreaming about getting an uninterrupted 24-hour supply of electricity and we have taken the bold initiative of reforms in the power sector to realize that dream he addedThere can be no compromise on the issue of ensuring access to the basic amenities to our people Sinha addedTremendous work has been done in the power sector across the country and rural areas are now getting electricity for 20-22 hours a day but JK is still deprived of that he saidMost of you know our cumulative generation capacity is around 3500 MW even though the UT has the potential to generate 20000 MW In the last six-eight months the MoUs we have signed with NHPC under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pave the way for generating 3500 MW additional power in the next four-five years assuredly Sinha said PTI AB IJT IJT

Kolkata Nov 28 PTI Asserting that the results of Tripura civic polls have exposed the hollowness of TMCs claims of making inroads into the northeastern state the BJP on Sunday stated that people there have faith in the saffron party Describing TMC workers campaigning in Tripura as hired people BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh told reporters here that his party shares a strong bond with the residents of that state The TMC will not be able to open its account in Tripura unless the BJP decides against fielding candidate from any seat he maintained The civic poll results are on expected lines The TMC did not have any chance to open its account in Tripura they only made noises This verdict shows hired people from West Bengal cannot help a party create a base in a state which has faith in the BJP Ghosh added PTI SUS RMS RMS

New Delhi Nov 18 PTI Asserting that India was no longer a weak nation Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India will give a befitting reply to anyone threatening its sovereignty and territorial integrity in a veiled message to China on the 59th anniversary of the epic battle of Rezang La in eastern LadakhNobody can show an eye to India and get away as the country is fully determined to protect every inch of its land the defence minister said after paying glowing tributes to the Indian soldiers who inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese military in the battle of Rezang La on November 18 1962The defence minister also dedicated a revamped war memorial in the high-altitude region and said it is a tribute to the bravehearts and a symbol of Indias preparedness to protect its integrityThe renovation of the memorial is not only a tribute to our valiant armed forces but also a symbol of the fact that we are fully prepared to protect the integrity of the nation Singh saidThis monument symbolises the governments stand of giving a befitting reply to anyone who threatens our sovereignty and integrity India is no longer a weak nation It has become a powerful country he said in a brief address in presence of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and several other top military officialsHis comments came on a day India and China held another round of diplomatic talks on border affairs that focused on resolving the nearly 18-month-long border row along the Line of ActualSingh also said he will continue to visit Rezang La to pay homage to the fallen soldiers till he remains the defence ministerThe battle of Rezang La is largely considered as the finest moment for the Indian Army during the 1962 war with China as over 100 Indian soldiers pushed back a large number of Chinese troops displaying raw courage and indomitable spiritThe defence minister said India has never intended to occupy the land of any other country but it has given a befitting reply to anyone eyeing the countrys territory and that Indian soldiers are capable of protecting every inch of the nationSingh described the memorial as an example of the determination and indomitable courage displayed by the Indian Army that he said is not only immortal in the pages of history but also beats in our heartsThe defence minister said the battle of Rezang La is considered one of the 10 greatest and most challenging military conflicts in the worldThe historic battle of Rezang La fought at an altitude of 18000 feet is difficult to imagine even today Major Shaitan Singh and his fellow soldiers fought till last bullet and last breath and wrote a new chapter of bravery and sacrifice he saidI am saluting the 114 Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifices in the 1962 war after reaching Rezang La located amidst the inaccessible hills of Ladakh Singh saidThe memorial was constructed in 1963 in the Chushul plains right at the India-China border to honour the troops of Charlie Company of 13 Kumaon Regiment who were involved in the battleThe decision to renovate the memorial was taken by Singh when he had visited Leh in JuneThe renovated complex includes a double-storied museum a mini-theatre to screen a special documentary on the battle a large helipad and various other tourist amenities The Rezang La Memorial located very close to the Pangong Lake in Ladakh is set to become a major tourist attraction in the coming years the defence ministry saidThe battle of Rezang La began at around 4 am on November 18 1962 and lasted till around 10 pm during which the C company of 13th battalion of the Kumaon Regiment led by Major Shaitan Singh not only stood their ground but inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese despite being outnumbered by the adversaryMajor Singh was later posthumously conferred with Param Vir Chakra Indias highest military decorationIt was a saga of unparalleled bravery as Major Shaitan Singh and 113 soldiers had made the supreme sacrifice fighting one of the worlds rarest last man last bullet battles the defence ministry saidDefence Minister Singh also met Brig retd R B Jatar who was part of the battle of Rezang LaI am overwhelmed by the feeling of respect for him and I salute his courage Singh saidThe revamped war memorial has been thrown open at a time India and China have been locked in a bitter border row in eastern Ladakh for nearly one and half yearsThe Indian Army had occupied a number of mountain peaks in the Rezang La region in August last year following Chinas aggressive posturing and failed attempt to intimidate Indian troopsThe eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponryThe tension escalated following a deadly clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 last yearAs a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks the two sides completed the disengagement process in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February and in the Gogra area in AugustEach side currently has around 50000 to 60000 troops along the Line of Actual Control LAC in the sensitive sector PTI MPB PYK PYK